Findings from correlational research are used to determine the relationship between two variables. If a correlation is found, that information can be used to facilitate future research into the underlying psychology behind this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether or not a correlation exists between Protestant Work Ethic and Social Comparison. The first variable is Protestant Work Ethic (PWE). A term first described by Weber (1930), PWE is a value that emphasizes hard work, personal achievement, perseverance, and self-discipline. The second variable is an individual’s level of Social Comparison (SC). A phenomenon described by Festinger (1954), SC measures how much an individual evaluates their performance by comparing it to others. Both of these variables relate to personal …show more content…
The participants were sorted into groups of high, intermediate, or low PWE and were then assigned a task. Participants were randomly assigned either positive or negative feedback on their performance of the task. A second task was assigned with a period of free time before the experimenter returned. An observer watched to see how the participants spent their free time and used that to determine their level of intrinsic motivation after receiving the feedback. The relationship between PWE and performance feedback on intrinsic motivation was significant. Individuals with high PWE remained intrinsically motivated regardless of receiving positive or negative feedback, and individuals with low PWE spent more free time with the task after receiving negative feedback, indicating a fear of failure. These results build on the previous study and also suggest that individuals with high PWE rely more on internal, intrinsic factors to measure success and remain motivated, rather than external, extrinsic factors such as feedback from peers or