Final answer:
The term for evaluating personal characteristics through comparison with others is social comparison option (a). This process influences self-esteem by allowing individuals to gauge where they stand in relation to peers. It should not be confused with confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek information that confirms existing beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to evaluating a person's characteristics through comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics is known as social comparison.
Social comparison option (a) is a process where individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. This often involves considering the one's abilities, traits, and attributes against those of others in order to establish a baseline for self-evaluation. This psychological behavior impacts self-esteem and can influence how individuals view themselves in relation to their peer groups.
We can contrast this with confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions, often leading to statistical errors. Thus, when we seek out information that supports our stereotypes, we engage in confirmation bias, thereby reinforcing and perpetuating those stereotypes rather than challenging them.