@article{ref1,
title="Feeling Better About Doing Worse: Social Comparisons Within Romantic Relationships",
journal="Journal of personality and social psychology",
year="2004",
author="Lockwood, Penelope and Dolderman, Dan and Sadler, Pamela and Gerchak, Elinora",
volume="87",
number="1",
pages="80-95",
abstract="<p><br/>The authors examined the role of closeness between self and partner in determining the impact of social comparisons within intimate relationships. To the extent that one's partner is a central aspect of one's identity, one may be able to restore one's positive self-regard following an upward comparison with the partner by turning to the relationship as a self-affirmational resource. Studies 1 and 2 examined reactions to imagined comparisons; Studies 3 and 4 examined reactions to actual comparison feedback. Across studies, closeness moderated the impact of upward comparisons with the partner; that is, higher closeness participants responded to a more successful partner by focusing on their relationship-related strengths. However, closeness did not moderate the impact of downward comparisons with the partner.</p><p />",
language="",
issn="0022-3514",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}