Why Did My Friend Get a Better Grade Than Me on This Exam? That’s Unfair! Exploring the Role of Social Comparison in Student Evaluations

This study investigates potential reactions among marketing students when they compare grades with one another. Drawing on social comparison and notions of fairness in grading, the authors conducted an experimental study and found that relative standing (not absolute performance) shapes student satisfaction, fairness perception, and instructor impression. In particular, the emotional reactions to grade comparison may be a major driver of student dissatisfaction with grades and complaints about grading, especially among high self-efficacy students. Students who received a higher grade than their friend reacted positively, but those who received a lower grade or the same grade as their friend reacted negatively. Surprisingly, respondents reacted negatively if the comparison with a friend was unfavorable to themselves, even when their objective circumstances improved. For example, they were less happy over an improved grade that was lower than their friend’s grade, suggesting that dissatisfaction is rooted in comparison dynamics rather than something easily resolved through grade inflation or transparency. Moderation by self-efficacy adds nuance, showing that highly confident students are especially sensitive to relative underperformance. Reinforcing these findings, grade comparison significantly impacted the perceived fairness of the instructor. We suggest that shifting the focus of comparison to self-improvement rather than comparison with others may help alleviate this negative reaction. This research concludes with theoretical and practical implications, as well as the limitations and future research directions.