Exploring the When and Why of Schadenfreude

Abstract

We summarize the empirical work on schadenfreude, or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. Although schadenfreude is a socially undesirable emotion, research reveals at least three conditions in which it commonly arises. One condition is when observers gain from the misfortune. We discuss research showing that gains in ingroup outcomes based on the failures of rival outgroups can create schadenfreude, especially for those highly identified with their ingroups. A second condition is when another's misfortune is deserved. We focus on research showing that the misfortunes of hypocrites are perceived as highly deserved and therefore create schadenfreude in observers. A third condition is when a misfortune befalls an envied person. We summarize studies showing that the core ingredients of envy prime the envying person for schadenfreude when the envied person suffers.

Hypocrisy by association: When organizational membership increases condemnation for wrongdoing

“…People feel angry and disgusted when they observe hypocrisy (Laurent et al, 2013). They are less inclined to let hypocrites off the hook for bad behavior in light of prior good deeds (Effron & Monin, 2010), and they enjoy seeing hypocrites punished (Powell & Smith, 2012;Smith, Powell, Combs, & Schurtz, 2009). In organizational contexts, leaders who fail to practice what they preach undermine followers' trust, commitment, performance, and willingness to adopt change (Cha & Edmondson, 2006;Davis & Rothstein, 2006;Greenbaum, Mawritz, & Piccolo, in press;Leroy, Palanski, & Simons, 2012;Palanski & Yammarino, 2011;Simons, 1999Simons, , 2002.…”

Intergroup Schadenfreude: motivating participation in collective violence

“…Several conditions predict the experience of Schadenfreude in interpersonal and intergroup contexts (see [44 ] for a review). Here, I focus on the effect of intergroup competition [45].…”

A Social Identity Approach to Sport Psychology: Principles, Practice, and Prospects

“…For example, whether or not one perceives the poor performance of a soccer team as a source of stress depends on the degree to which one identifies with that team [102][103][104][105]. Indeed, among other things, this means that a loss suffered by a rival team can be a source of eustress (e.g., in the form of schadenfreude [18,106,107]) rather than distress.…”