Abstract
Envy drives different behaviors, and while we often emphasize the negative effects of envy, there are also relatively positive aspects. This study explored the “two faces” of envy or behaviors that improve oneself or degrade others. In study 1 (N=466, 45.1% males and 54.9% females; Mage=18.53, SDage=2.05), we modeled the effects of envy and self-control on effort and aggression. In study 2 (N=102, 51% males and 49% females; Mage=20.56, SDage=1.88), we explored the influence of envy on striving behavior and aggressive behavior using an ego depletion paradigm. The different effects of envy on different levels were doubly verified. We established structural equation models of the interactions of benign envy, malicious envy, self-control, and associated behaviors, and we found that: (1) Individuals’ striving behavior was only affected by benign envy; (2) Individuals’ aggressive behavior was influenced by both malicious envy and self-control. Ego depletion moderated the effect of malicious envy on aggressive behavior.
Highlights
Envy is like a wildfire destroying people
Consistent with previous studies, we found, through path analysis, that benign envy could have a positive and significant direct effect on striving tendency, while selfcontrol could have a positive effect on striving tendency through benign envy
Malicious envy had a positive and significant effect on aggressive tendency, which while selfcontrol had a negative effect on aggressive tendency through malicious envy
Summary
Envy is like a wildfire destroying people. We feel envy for, a classmate who gets a good grade or, a neighbor who buys an expensive car. Envy is a painful emotion, which may arise from a negative social comparison with another person who has superior abilities, achievements, or possessions (Parrott and Smith, 1993; Smith and Kim, 2007). Consequences of Envy and Self-control comparison, diminishes as the gap between oneself and others narrows This can be done by raising yourself to the other person’s level, or by lowering the other person to your position. In the process of upward comparison, when individuals think they can achieve a level similar to the comparison goal, the assimilative effects occur, and individuals experience positive emotions. High self-control leads to assimilative effects, and low self-control leads to contrastive effects (Brown et al, 1992)
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