Thinking About the Joneses? Decreasing Rumination About Social Comparison Increases Well-Being

Social comparison and rumination are associated with lower levels of subjective well-being. We expected that an intervention to change the appraisal of social comparison situations would improve well-being among young adults (n = 74). A 9-week online training program was designed, combining elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive psychology. A pre-post assessment of subjective well-being, affect, social comparison orientation, rumination, and an appraisal of personal negatively perceived social situations served as dependent variables. Results indicate that the training led to an increase in subjective well-being and positive affect, and a decrease in negative affect and rumination. Initially unhappier individuals benefited slightly more from the training. The negative affective response toward personal social situations decreased, while positive affect increased. The overall level of social comparison orientation remained stable. Change in rumination was the strongest predictor of increased well-being, indicating that not social comparison per se, but ruminating about social comparison affects well-being.