The experience of deprivation: Does relative more than absolute status predict hostility?

Abstract

The present research examined the causal effects of absolute and relative status on experienced deprivation and hostility. On the basis of the theory of relative deprivation, we reasoned that the subjective experience of being worse off than others is a better predictor for hostility than is the absolute level of how well‐off people are. Indeed, three experiments showed that relative more than absolute status has an impact on aggressive affect. That is, even when objective resources were high, people were more hostile when their resources compared negatively to others’ resources. Although no consistent direct effects were found for a measure of aggressive behaviour, mediation analyses suggest that relative but not absolute deprivation ultimately impacts aggressive behaviour via increased feelings of disadvantage and aggressive affect. The results emphasize the drastic consequences of the rising income inequality, irrespective of a nation's absolute wealth.

Foreign nurse educators’ lived experiences of incivility: The case for Botswana

“…The participants in the study deemed the use of derogatory name-calling and attributing any wrongdoing to the foreign nurse educators as hostile behaviour. This finding is strongly supported by Greitemeyer and Sagioglou ( 2018 ); the study found that it is common for people of similar social networks to become hostile to those different from their own. Such hostility may result in both social and economic exclusion, as is the case with the current study.…”

Student experiences of the COVID‐19 pandemic: Perspectives from first‐generation/lower‐income students and others

“…According to relative deprivation theory (Crosby, 1976; Pettigrew, 2016; Runciman, 1966), a precondition for feeling deprived, or angry and resentful about having lesser resources, is believing that one deserves to have more. It is well‐documented that absolute deprivation , or having few resources alone, does not predict strong feelings of angry resentment (Greitemeyer & Sagioglou, 2019; Liu, et al., 2019; Smith, et al., 2012). Instead, feelings of resentment depend, among other things, on feeling that you deserve better.…”

When good news backfires: Feelings of disadvantage in the Corona crisis

“…On the other hand, the confrontation with a silver-lining and positive outlook could potentially lead to a break with these common interests as self-interest is now the main priority. Research has shown that a positive economic outlook does not necessarily imply satisfaction (Dambrun et al, 2006; Greitemeyer and Sagioglou, 2019; Ishida et al, 2014; Power, 2018). Referring to China, Brockmann et al (2009) found that despite massive increases in income, happiness decreased considerably.…”

“…Thus, obvious improvements could inadvertently induce relative deprivation (Smith and Huo, 2014: 235). Comparisons with others in particular might prompt relative deprivation when people ask why others are even better off (Greitemeyer and Sagioglou, 2019; Smith and Huo, 2014). Relative deprivation is prompted by the relative standing of the individuals when compared to others and not by his/her absolute position.…”

“…To sum up, the mediation analyses shows that information about positive economic expectations for the future and large-scale governmental interventions form the picture that fairness and democratic norms are undermined. Thus, information demonstrating a positive economic outlook might lead to the fact ‘that although people are increasingly able to fulfil their material needs, experiencing that others have even more still leads to frustration’ (Greitemeyer and Sagioglou, 2019: 531). Moreover, linking our findings to the literature on populism, we see that being confronted with positive expectations increases anti-elitism, which then promotes feelings of subjective relative deprivation.…”