Data

The hypotheses were tested in four studies.Study 1 used a one-way and two-level (social comparison: upward vs. downward) between-subject design, demonstrating that, compared to downward comparisons, upward comparisons lead consumers to engage in more variety-seeking.Study 2 adopted a one-way and three-level (social comparison: upward vs. downward vs. control) between-subject design, delving deeper into the driving forces behind changes in variety-seeking, identifying both the weakening effect of downward comparison and the strengthening effect of upward comparison.Study 3 used a one-way and two-level (social comparison: upward vs. downward) between-subjects design, confirming the mediating role of the sense of control, extending the findings of Study 1 and Study 2 to real consumer choice and various comparison contextsStudy 4 used a 2 (social comparison: upward vs. downward) × 2 (relationship orientation: competition vs. cooperation) between-subjects design, examining the moderating role of relationship orientation and found that upward comparisons result in increased variety-seeking only when the comparison target is in competition with the self.