Estimation of the absolute magnitude of a stimulus is most likely not based on absolute values or standards but rather on comparison between different stimuli. Judgments of psychological and physical well-being are here proposed to be the result of the comparison of relevant stimuli. As such, people compare certain aspects of their well-being with other stimuli while judging their current well-being. Several comparison standards can act as stimuli, including social, temporal, dimension-based, counterfactual, and criteria-based comparisons. Comparison standards share some common attributes with the target and can be instigated intentionally by the individual or by external stimuli. Multiple psychological processes may be engaged in judgment, including attention, memory, contextual sources, as well as postdecision evaluation and updating of potential consequences. These processes influence the selection of comparison standards and their impact on the judgment of the target as well as associated emotional, cognitive and behavioural consequences. This talk will focus on comparison processes involved in judgments of subjective well-being and affective stimuli and will also present current research activities at our department in this area.
