Ann always gets very high grades and takes great pride in her academic ability. According to self-evaluation maintenance theory, which of the following is MOST likely to make Ann feel bad about herself?
a. Ann's best friend gets a higher grade in math class than Ann did.
b. Another student in her math class whom Ann does not know well gets a higher grade
c. Ann takes a class that turns out to be unusually easy and she gets a very high grade.
d. Ann's best friend is named captain of the cheerleading team.

The correct answer is a. Ann's best friend gets a higher grade in math class than Ann did.

Explanation:

According to self-evaluation maintenance theory, we feel more threatened by friends than strangers. Therefore, we tend to compare ourselves to a person who is psychologically close to us to determine how well we are doing. If that person surpasses us in an area we are used to excelling in, we are likely to feel bad about ourselves. To Ann, a stranger doing better than her is not that threatening. Her best friend becoming captain of the cheerleading team is also not important, since that is not an area she is concerned with. However, if her best friend - a person who is clearly psychologically close to her - does better than Ann does in an area that matter to her, that will make her feel bad. That is why the answer is a. Ann's best friend gets a higher grade in math class than Ann did.

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