This study aims to investigate the roles of social comparison and social comparison copings in stresses and the subjective well-being of the elderly. Participants were 270 elderly men and women who were at least 60 years of age whose average of age was 76.59 (SD=8.35). For this study, stresses in senescence, social comparison, social comparison copings, negative/positive emotion, life satisfaction, subjective happiness were measured. Results indicated that the stress in senescence was positively related to social comparison and social comparison copings, and negatively to the subjective well-being. Stresses in senescence accounted for around 14% variance of subjective well-being. The upward comparison coping accounted more variance of stresses in senescence than the downward comparison coping did. Relationships between variables indicated the possibility of mediating effect of social comparison and social comparison copings rather than moderating effect on stresses and the subjective well-being of the elderly. And regression analysis revealed that only the upward comparison coping had mediating effect on those two variables. This mediating path was also confirmed with structural equation model. This study suggested that the upward comparison coping among social comparison copings, not social comparison itself, may plays an role of mediating variable in the relationship between stresses in senescence and the subjective well-being, and had negatively influenced on quality of life in senescence. It was discussed the mediating effect of the upward comparison coping with Korean collectivism and previous studies.
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