Where gender and social comparison are concerned, research indicates that women are prone to make more upward comparisons and downward identifications. A 2022 study out of Vaud University of Teacher Education in Switzerland found that by elementary school, girls have already learned to compare themselves only to the peers they perceive as superior. By contrast, when men glance around a party or scroll through their feeds, they’re more likely to notice only their less attractive peers. Their impression from there is, Cool, I guess I’m the hottest guy here, and that’s a self-esteem victory. When
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