New research suggests that concerns about social status diminish significantly when health enters the picture. While people often compare themselves with others when evaluating income, education, career success, or social standing, these comparisons become far less important when decisions involve health and well-being. Instead of focusing on whether they are doing better than others, people tend to prioritise what will provide the best outcome for themselves.
Social comparison is a common feature of everyday decision-making. For example, a salary increase may feel less satisfying if colleagues receive larger raises, even though one’s own financial situation has improved. In such cases, relative standing can matter as much as, or even more than, the absolute benefit received. However, researchers found that this tendency changes markedly when health-related factors are introduced. When health is at stake, people become less concerned with outperforming others and more focused on achieving the most favourable personal outcome.
Researchers from the School of Management in Angers, France, and the University of East London conducted the study. Nearly 400 participants in France took part in two experiments designed to explore how social comparison influences decision-making. Participants were presented with a series of hypothetical scenarios in which they could either maximise their own benefit or choose an option that placed them in a better position than others, even if it required sacrificing some personal advantage.
The findings revealed a clear distinction between health and non-health decisions. In situations unrelated to health, many participants preferred options that improved their status relative to others. However, when choices involved health-related issues, this preference largely disappeared. Scenarios involving life expectancy, surgery waiting times, and health insurance prompted participants to focus on securing the best possible outcome for themselves rather than maintaining a superior position compared with others.
According to the researchers, these results demonstrate that health occupies a unique place in human decision-making. Co-author Professor Kirk Chang of the Royal Docks School of Business and Law at the University of East London explained that people naturally compare themselves with others across many aspects of life. Still, this tendency weakens when health information becomes part of the decision. Rather than asking whether they are better off than others, individuals become more concerned with what will maximise their own well-being because the consequences are more meaningful and personally significant.
The researchers believe these findings have important implications for policymakers, healthcare providers, and public health communicators. Understanding how different types of health information influence decision-making could help organisations develop more effective communication strategies and encourage healthier choices. The study also found that not all health information carries equal weight. Information related to life expectancy, surgery waiting times, and health insurance had the strongest impact in shifting attention away from social status and towards personal well-being. The findings reinforce a simple but powerful message: when health is involved, people are far more likely to focus on what is best for themselves than on how they compare with others.
More information: Jérémy Celse et al, Better for self or better than others, the secret of relative position in behavior, Review of Behavioral Economics. DOI: 10.1108/RBE-12-2025-0126
Journal information: Review of Behavioral Economics Provided by University of East London