Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigated how individuals, and narcissists in particular, respond when they bring harm to someone they envy, and what they do in response to the harm that they caused. We examined how high versus low levels of responsibility for harming an envied person would affect levels of schadenfreude (i.e., pleasure at other’s suffering), guilt and prosocial behavior. We expected that narcissists would display more schadenfreude, less guilt, and less prosocial behavior than nonnarcissists, even when they were made to feel responsible for the downfall of the person. Results showed a significant relationship between narcissism and schadenfreude, with narcissists experiencing more schadenfreude than less narcissistic individuals. No relationship was found between narcissism and guilt or prosocial behavior. Responsibility did not affect schadenfreude, guilt, or prosocial behavior.
Author: Ashley Ginter
Institution: Trinity University
Language: English
Topic: Emotions and Moral Behavior
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W433568820