A Function of Friendship: Social Comparisons as a Frame of Reference for Marriage

Abstract

This is a descriptive study that examines the perceptions couples have about their interactions with friends and whether these interactions were believed to influence their own marriages. The possible influence of friends on marriage was analyzed in terms of the concept "social comparison." Social comparison is a process whereby people seek out information about other people's responses, feelings, abilities, and expectations and then derive or evaluate their own behavior, goals, feelings, and expectations. In over half of the couples, at least one member of the couple makes comparisons of their own marriage to a friend's marriage. Making a social comparison appears to provide a frame of reference that yields more realistic expectations about marriage.