The role of comparison motives in the relationship between personality and comparison level choice

This article studied whether the motives for comparison of grades with those of others play a mediating role in the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and the choice of the level of comparison of students. The study was conducted among about 1,500 students in higher education. Of the five personality factors - Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability, and (intellectual) Autonomy - only Conscientiousness appeared predictive of the comparison level choice. Conscientious students were more likely to compare their grades lateral than upward. Furthermore, conscientious students appeared more likely to compare their grades for reasons of self-evaluation and self-improvement. Agreeable, emotionally stable and autonomous students appeared less likely to compare their grades for reasons of self-enhancement. Furthermore, self-evaluation appeared predictive of lateral comparison and self-improvement appeared predictive of upward comparison. However, no evidence was found for a mediator role of the motives for comparison in the association between personality and the comparison level choice.