RETRACTED: Measure by Measure: When Implicit and Explicit Social Comparison Effects Differ (Retracted article. See vol. 12, pg. 467, 2013)

This study demonstrates that the structure of social comparison effects depends on the type of activated self-cognitions and the type of measure that is used. When neutral or negative self-cognitions are activated, social comparison information is processed defensively (both upward and downward comparison standards lead to positive explicit self-ratings). On an implicit level, however, upward comparison standards increase negativity. When positive self-cognitions are activated, explicit self-ratings show non-defensive contrast effects (upward standards lead to negative self-ratings and downward standards lead to positive self-ratings). On an implicit level no negative consequences surface. These results suggest that social comparison effects can manifest themselves in different forms, and that these will paint different pictures of the social comparison outcomes. Therefore, it is argued that future social comparison research should incorporate both explicit and implicit measures.