Interpersonal comparison among caregivers of children with asthma

Abstract

Objective: We examined the extent to which caregivers of children with asthma used interpersonal comparisons—a novel comparison process that parallels social comparison and temporal comparison—to form judgments about their child. Methods & Measures: Using semi-structured interviews adapted from the McGill Illness Narrative Interview, we examined the interpersonal comparisons that caregivers of a child with asthma (n = 41) made regarding their child. Results: Interpersonal comparisons influenced caregiver thoughts, feelings, and behavior. They helped caregivers distinguish asthma from other breathing problems, evaluate the severity of the asthma, and understand their child’s experience. However, they also created uncertainty by highlighting the complex, unpredictable nature of asthma. Interpersonal comparisons were a source of gratitude and hope, but also worry and frustration. Finally, interpersonal comparisons influenced caregivers’ decisions and actions, resulting in decisions that aligned with and, at times, ran counter to biomedical models of asthma care. In some instances, caregivers used interpersonal comparisons to motivate their child’s behavior. Conclusion: The interpersonal comparisons served as a source of information for caregivers trying to understand and manage their child’s asthma. Investigating these comparisons also expands how we think about other comparison theories.

Keywords:

• Social comparison
• temporal comparison
• adolescents

Disclosure statement

The data are not publicly available because we cannot fully deidentify the data. We can make the data available on request provided that the requestor’s institution establishes a data sharing agreement with the University of Washington.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (R01HL137680, MPI Erika Waters, James Shepperd) and the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences grant UL1TR002345 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH. None of the authors have conflicts of interest to report. We thank Rachel Forsyth, Austin Abell, and David Fedele for assisting with data collection, and Jerry Suls for helpful conceptual advice.