University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
Med Teach. 2010;32(11):899-904. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2010.497820.
Social comparison theory is relevant for learning in general. In a clinical context, we examined four hypotheses concerning: preferred other to compare with, preferred direction of comparison, response to social comparison and influence of personal social comparison orientation (SCO).
To investigate the relevance of social comparison for clinical workplace learning.
Students (n = 437) from nine different hospitals completed two questionnaires measuring their SCO and the direction of and response to their comparisons. t-tests were used to analyse the data.
Students substantially did compare. They preferred to compare with peer students more than with residents or staff, and with peers doing better more than with peers doing worse. Their response to social comparison was more often stimulating for learning than discouraging. Students high in SCO reported a stronger stimulating and discouraging response to their comparisons than students low in SCO.
Social comparison does play a role in clinical workplace learning. The mainly stimulating response to social comparison indicates a positive learning influence. The preferred comparison with peers emphasizes the role of peers in the learning process. Further research should focus on student comparison behaviour and on situations that strengthen the positive effects of social comparison and reduce the negative or obstructing ones.
社会比较理论与一般学习有关。在临床环境中，我们检验了关于以下四个假设的理论：与谁比较更受欢迎、比较的方向、对社会比较的反应以及个人社会比较倾向（SCO）的影响。
探讨社会比较在临床工作场所学习中的相关性。
来自九家不同医院的 437 名学生完成了两份问卷，分别测量他们的 SCO 以及比较的方向和反应。使用 t 检验分析数据。
学生确实进行了大量的比较。他们更喜欢与同学而不是住院医师或员工进行比较，并且更喜欢与表现更好的同学进行比较。他们对社会比较的反应更多的是激励学习而不是阻碍学习。与 SCO 较低的学生相比，SCO 较高的学生报告说他们对比较的反应更具激励性和阻碍性。
社会比较确实在临床工作场所学习中发挥作用。对社会比较的主要激励反应表明存在积极的学习影响。与同伴比较受欢迎，强调了同伴在学习过程中的作用。进一步的研究应集中在学生的比较行为上，并关注那些能够增强社会比较的积极影响、减少消极影响或阻碍因素的情况。
