Upward social comparison and withdrawal behavior in scientific researchers: The roles of envy and self-esteem

To test the relationship between upward social comparison and withdrawal behavior in a Chinese research context, we administered the Upward Social Comparison Scale, the Dispositional Envy Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Withdrawal Behavior Scale to 450 scientific researchers. Results showed that upward social comparison had a significantly positive predictive effect on withdrawal behavior and indirect effects on withdrawal behavior through envy; further, both stages of the mediating effect of envy were moderated by self-esteem. Specifically, for scientific researchers with low self-esteem, the indirect mediating effect of envy between upward social comparison and withdrawal behavior was significant, whereas for those with high self-esteem, the effect was not significant. This suggests that upward social comparison induces scientific researchers’ withdrawal behavior through envy, but high self-esteem can alleviate this induced effect. Our findings provide further evidence of the formation mechanism for withdrawal behavior, which have potential use in prevention and intervention programs.