SBP: Investigating Social Comparison Processes among Undergraduates at a Hispanic Serving Institution

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People often compare themselves to others around them (i.e., engage in social comparison). For minority undergraduate students, the people around them are typically majority students. However, for Hispanic students who attend Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), the majority of people around them tend to be other Hispanic students. This shift from being in the minority to being in the majority may have important consequences; yet, no research has examined the potential effects. The current project plans to conduct studies to understand how students compare themselves to others in this new context and tests a strategy to help students compare themselves to others in more productive ways. This project has important implications for society. Knowledge gained through these studies can help colleges/universities better serve their students and improve long-term outcomes. Additionally, the project will train 25 undergraduate researchers and results from the study will be made publicly available through conference presentations and publications. Ultimately, this research program will improve STEM education and create a more diverse workforce.The most beneficial type of social comparison occurs when people compare themselves to others who they perceive as better off than themselves but who are similar in important ways (i.e., upward identification). On the other hand, it can be detrimental when people make comparisons to those who they perceive as similar but worse off than themselves (i.e., downward identification). The project’s main hypothesis is that downward identification occurs frequently in Hispanic students who attend HSIs where Hispanic students are in the majority. The project tests this hypothesis through four studies. Studies 1 and 2 identify current social comparison processes and outcomes related to these processes. Study 3 uses an experiment to determine whether social comparison causes changes to student outcomes. Study 4 follows students throughout an academic year (six data collection time points) to test the long-term effects of a program designed to improve student performance through social comparison. Ultimately, this research expands knowledge about social comparison processes and enhances future research and interventions on improving academic outcomes and minority representation in STEM fields.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.