Comparison of objects, events, and situations is integral to judgment; comparisons of the self with other people comprise one of the building blocks of human conduct and experience. After four decades of research, the topic of social comparison is more popular than ever. In this timely handbook a distinguished roster of researchers and theoreticians describe where the field has been since its development in the early 1950s and where it is likely to go next.

Providing a state-of-the-science overview of theory, research, and practice at the interface of psychology and health, this comprehensive volume explores how health and health behaviors are shaped by a wide range of psychological processes and social-environmental factors.