Your Textbook Talks About the Danger of Basing Personal Evaluations

question 9

Essay

Your textbook talks about the danger of basing personal evaluations on comparisons to unrealistic reference groups. The book focuses on the specific dangers dealing with issues regarding weight and body image. Besides weight, name at least three other areas that people improperly use reference groups to unfairly compare themselves to others. Now, imagine that someone you care about is unfairly comparing him or herself to someone in an unrealistic reference group. How would you help and/or encourage that friend to develop a more realistic self-concept?

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Definitions:

Initial Endowment

The initial quantity of goods, services, or resources an individual, institution, or country possesses at the start of an economic analysis.

Relative Prices

The price of one good or service compared to another, indicating their exchange rate in the market.

Normal Good

A type of good for which demand increases when income increases and falls when income decreases, with other factors being constant.

Inferior Good

A type of good for which demand decreases as the income of the consumer increases, opposite to normal goods.