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Mussweiler, T. (2001). Focus of Comparison as a Determinant of Assimilation versus Contrast in Social Comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 38-47http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167201271004

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Social Comparison Orientation and Perspective Taking as Related to Responses to a Victim

  AUTHORS: Abraham P. Buunk, Pieternel Dijkstra

  KEYWORDS: Empathy, Distress, Helping, Social Comparison Orientation

  JOURNAL NAME: Psychology, Vol.5 No.5, April 23, 2014

  ABSTRACT: The present study examined the effect of social comparison orientation (SCO) on the responses to a victim. Participants (n = 87) were exposed to an interview with the alleged victim of a traffic accident, that was either an unfamiliar or a close other. A close other induced more feelings of oneness and more personal distress, but not more empathy, than an unfamiliar other. Higher levels of SCO resulted in more feelings of oneness and more helping behavior only in response to an unfamiliar other. The results suggest that those high in SCO tend to perceive more identification with others they do not know than those low in SCO.