Malicious pleasure: Schadenfreude at the suffering of another group.

Abstract

Two studies examined intergroup schadenfreude --malicious pleasure at an outgroup's misfortune. Study 1 showed that schadenfreude regarding a German loss in soccer was increased by interest in soccer and threats of Dutch inferiority. The effect of inferiority threat was especially strong for participants less interested in soccer, as the more interested showed relatively high schadenfreude. Study 2 replicated these effects by showing a similar pattern of schadenfreude regarding losses by Germany and Italy in another setting. However, schadenfreude toward legitimately superior Italy was lower when a norm of honest and direct expression was made salient to participants lower in soccer interest. These results establish schadenfreude as an emotion that is moderated by the salient dimensions of particular intergroup relations.

Playing prosocial video games increases empathy and decreases schadenfreude.

“…These items were adapted from Leach, Spears, Branscombe, and Doosje (2003) and Leach and Spears (2009), were highly correlated, and thus pooled in a schadenfreude scale (␣ ϭ .80).…”

“…Whereas empathy evokes helping behavior (Batson, 1991) and reduces the use of stereotypes (Galinsky & Moskowitz, 2000), schadenfreude has been conceived of a malicious emotion (Heider, 1958;Leach et al, 2003) that may hurt interpersonal and intergroup relations. Playing prosocial video games by increasing empathy and diminishing schadenfreude can thus contribute to improved social interactions.…”

When people fall from grace: Reconsidering the role of envy in schadenfreude.

“…The notion that hostile feelings may set the stage for Schadenfreude has been put forward by numerous scholars (e.g., Ben Ze'ev, 2000;Feather, 1994;Heider, 1958;Leach, Spears, Branscombe, & Doosje, 2003;Ortony, Clore, & Collins, 1988;Spinoza, 1677Spinoza, /2002 and has received considerable empirical support (e.g., Brigham et al, 1997;Feather, 1989;Feather & Sherman, 2002;Hareli & Weiner, 2002;Smith et al, 1996;van Dijk, Ouwerkerk, Goslinga, & Nieweg, 2005). In our view envy does include a hostile component.…”

When failing feels good—Relative prototypicality for a high-status group can counteract ego-threat after individual failure

“…In order to maintain the positivity and distinctiveness of a group, people pay close attention to the group prototype, with the consequence that those who deviate from the group's norms are downgraded or excluded, while those who fit the group prototype closely (i.e., central members, high prototypicality) are upgraded and imbued with status, popularity, and social influence (Eidelman, Silvia, & Biernat, 2006;Hogg, 2001Hogg, , 2005. The importance of group prototypicality is also highlighted by the fact that even highly successful people (i.e., over-achievers or ''tall-poppies''), an example of positive deviants, are not liked very much and often evoke feelings of malicious pleasure if they experience failure (i.e., schadenfreude) (e.g., Feather, 1994;Feather & Sherman, 2002; see also Leach, Spears, Branscombe, & Doosje, 2003). In most cases, neither positive nor negative deviants contribute to a consensual prototype or to the entitativity of the group (e.g., Hogg, 2005).…”