Loading...
When envy leads to schadenfreude
van de Ven,N. Hoogland,C.E. Smith,R.H. van Dijk,W.W. Breugelmans,S.M. Zeelenberg,M.
van de Ven,N.
Hoogland,C.E.
Smith,R.H.
van Dijk,W.W.
Breugelmans,S.M.
Zeelenberg,M.
Abstract
Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings concerning the relationship between envy and schadenfreude. Three studies examined whether the distinction between benign and malicious envy can resolve this inconsistency. We found that malicious envy is related to schadenfreude, while benign envy is not. This result held both in the Netherlands where benign and malicious envy are indicated by separate words (Study 1: Sample A, N = 139; Sample B, N = 150), and in the USA where a single word is used to denote both types (Study 2, N = 180; Study 3, N = 349). Moreover, the effect of malicious envy on schadenfreude was independent of other antecedents of schadenfreude (such as feelings of inferiority, disliking the target person, anger, and perceived deservedness). These findings improve our understanding of the antecedents of schadenfreude and help reconcile seemingly contradictory findings on the relationship between envy and schadenfreude. Keywords: Envy, Malicious envy, Benign envy, Schadenfreude, Social comparison, Deservedness
Description
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Citation
van de Ven, N, Hoogland, C E, Smith, R H, van Dijk, W W, Breugelmans, S M & Zeelenberg, M 2015, 'When envy leads to schadenfreude', Cognition & Emotion, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 1007-1025. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.961903