Striving to reach the “native speaker standard”: A growth belief may mitigate some deleterious effects of social comparison in migrants

Abstract

While upward social comparison can inspire and provide information for self-improvement, it can also threaten one’s self-confidence. This study examines how upward comparisons with “native speakers” relate to self-confidence and adaptation of migrant students who speak English as a second language, and the role of language mindsets in this process. Study 1 (n = 322) showed that the majority of migrant university students (67 %) tend to compare themselves with native speakers or people with higher levels of English proficiency (i.e., upward comparison), but those with fixed (vs. growth) mindsets were less likely to do so. Study 2 (n = 101) showed that when migrant students compared to native speakers (vs. control), they reported lower level of confidence. However, some negative effects of social comparison were buffered by growth mindsets, such that people with growth (vs. fixed) mindsets were less anxious and more confident to adapt to their academic environment. These findings suggest the “native speaker standard” has detrimental effects on linguistic-minority students’ language, social, and academic adaptations, but a growth mindset might mitigate some of these negative effects.