INTRODUCTION:
Consider an average poster depicting the Statue of Liberty designed by a team appearing in a design exhibition. How would you rate its quality? If this poster is shown alongside another excellent (or poor) poster designed by another team, how would you rate the average poster now?
Many works are completed by groups, making comparisons between group performances ubiquitous. Although the literature on social comparison has demonstrated the contrast effect, whereby a target' performance is rated lower when compared to a better standard than to a worse standard, it has mainly focused on individual-level comparisons but neglected group-level comparisons.


PURPOSE:
This study addresses how and why the comparison level (individual or group) influences the magnitude of the contrast effect.


METHOD:
We randomly assigned participants (N = 2,199) to one condition in a 2 (comparison level: individual or group) × 2 (comparison direction: upward or downward) between-subjects design. Participants viewed a target (e.g., poster) and a standard (either better or worse). They were described as being created by individuals or groups. Participants rated the quality of the target (1 = very poor, 7 = very excellent) and their focus on the differences between the target and the standard (1 = not at all, 9 = very much).


RESULTS:
First, the contrast effect was larger in the group condition than in the individual condition. Second, participants focused more on the differences between the target and the standard in the group condition than in the individual condition. Third, the focus on the differences mediated the relationship between the comparison level and the magnitude of the contrast effect.


CONCLUSIONS:
People exhibit an amplified contrast effect when evaluating group (vs. individual) performances. This is because people tend to focus more on differences between groups than on differences between individuals.