Self-perception and behavior do not occur in a social vacuum: who we are, and what we do, is often a function of what other people are and do. Others can inform us of who we are ("I am the only sane person here"), or where we stand ("I am quite intelligent compared to him"); others can inspire us ("I want to be like her"), or discourage us ("I can never be like her"). In effect, social comparison is a fundamental process of self-conception through the perception of others-self, as it is identified with others.

Social Comparison Theories: Key Readings offers a core and comprehensive collection of readings that focus on the motivations and mechanisms underlying social comparison effects, the role of social comparison processes in everyday life, the similarities and differences between interpersonal and inter-group social comparisons, and the strategies people employ to disregard detrimental social comparison outcomes. This volume of works shows the wide range of topics that concern social comparisons researchers and also the shared beliefs that bind them together.