The National Archive of Grief Support Studies
The National Archive of Grief Support Studies(NAGSS) database provides bibliographical information and summaries of recent articles selected for their relevance to grief and bereavement service providers. The articles that are summarized are selected from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals and are intended to highlight key concepts as well as provide a brief statement of implications for service providers. Bibliographical information may be used to obtain the original article.
Social Comparisons and Well-Being Following Widowhood and Divorce
Authors:
Ben-Zur, Hasida
Michael, Keren
Source:
Death Studies: 2009, 33(3), pp. 220-238.
Summary
This article describes a study designed to investigate social comparison processes and well-being among married, widowed, and divorced adults. The authors surveyed 196 participants to assess their well-being and their use of downward positive comparisons, downward negative comparisons, upward positive comparisons, and upward negative comparisons. The authors found that married individuals had higher well-being than those who were divorced or widowed. In addition, the authors found that divorced participants had a higher tendency to use both upward and downward social comparisons, while the widowed had a higher tendency toward negative upward comparisons. The study also indicated that positive social comparisons contributed to well-being, while negative social comparisons were maladaptive. The authors recommend that widowed and divorced individuals should be encouraged to focus on positive social comparisons.
Key Words: social, widow, women
Service Provider Implications
The findings from this study indicate that service providers may be able to help widowed individuals by encouraging them to focus on positive rather than negative social comparisons.
