In the previous chapter it was examined whether intimate partners' evaluation of their relationship quality was affected by inducing them to actively engage in cognitive downward social comparison. The findings of these studies as reported in the previous chapter suggest that this induced cognitive downward comparison process resulted in higher perceived quality of the relationship, particularly for individuals who display more relational discontent and a stronger orientation toward social comparison. However, the question that arose in the introductory chapter was how observers would react when they observed someone else engaging overtly in downward social comparison activities.

To address this question, the present chapter focuses on reactions to other people who openly display downward comparison behavior. More specifically, in a series of experimental studies, participants were presented with a short fragment supposedly derived from a group discussion. In this fragment, in which one of the discussants publicly evaluated his or her close relationship, the disclosures were systematically manipulated so that participants were provided with either enhancing versus deprecating, or enhancing versus absolute (i.e. noncomparative) fragments. It was explored whether self-enhancing downward comparisons were considered as more socially undesirable and would elicit more negative evaluations of the discloser.