When Does Difference Become Deficiency? Perceived Personal Deficiency as a Mediator of the Links Between Perceived Peer Advantage and Young Adults’ Self-Worth and Life Satisfaction

Abstract

Young adults often observe the development of their peers, and when they are aware that others are developing ahead of them, they tend to think, “Why is it comparison bad? When young adults notice that others are developing before them, it doesn't explain why comparison is bad. This present study aims to test the mediation effect of perceived personal deficiency between perceived peer advantage and self-worth and life satisfaction in young adults of Pakistan. The cross-sectional correlational design was used, and 300 young adults (138 males, 162 females) aged 18-25 years were selected from various universities, colleges and workplaces in Lahore through convenience sampling. Participants answered the Personal Relative Deprivation Scale, the Inadequate Self subscale of the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The perceived lack of self-worth and life satisfaction were significantly and negatively related to perceived peer advantage, whereas perceived peer advantage was significantly and positively related to perceived personal deficiency, and perceived personal deficiency was significantly and negatively related to perceived lack of self-worth and life satisfaction. For both relationships, perceived personal deficiency served as a partial mediator between them, accounting for some 70% of the total effects in each case, as revealed by PROCESS Model 4 analyses with 5,000 bootstrap samples. When difference becomes a problem, the problem seems to be internalized as a deficiency and self-critical cognition becomes a focus for counselling and self-compassion.