SOCIAL COMPARISONS ACROSS NATIONS - VARIABLES RELATING TO THE SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND TO PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE SELF-ESTEEM

This study investigated correlates of the degree to which participants favoured the products and achievements of their own nation. Three sam ples of undergraduate students in Adelaide, Australia compared their c ountry with 30 other countries in regard to either economic developmen t (Sample 1, N = 113), cultural achievement (Sample 2, N = 101), or sc ientific/technological achievement (Sample 3, N = 104). They also comp leted a general measure of ingroup bias (national favouritism) and mea sures of national identity, national identification, and personal and collective self-esteem. Results showed that ratings across countries w ere correlated with economic, social, and cultural objective indicator s. Favouring own nation over others in general was linked to national identity (Australia or other), national identification, and to cultura l and scientific/technological advantage, but not to economic advantag e. Results for the esteem-related variables varied across the three sa mples, but there was some evidence that collective self-esteem improve d prediction to national favouritism beyond personal self-esteem. Resu lts were consistent with implications from social identity theory conc erning ingroup favouritism, and with the assumption that comparisons a t the national level are also influenced by objective information abou t nations.