On the counterfactual nature of envy

"It could have been me"

N. van de Ven, M. Zeelenberg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

86 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We examined whether counterfactual thinking influences the experience of envy. Counterfactual thinking refers to comparing the situation as it is to what it could have been, and these thought processes have been shown to lead to a variety of emotions. We predicted that for envy the counterfactual thought “it could have been me” would be important. In four studies we found a clear link between such counterfactual thoughts and the intensity of envy. Furthermore, Studies 3 and 4 revealed that a manipulation known to affect the extent of counterfactual thinking (the perception of being close to obtaining the desired outcome oneself), had an effect on the intensity of envy via counterfactual thoughts. This relationship between counterfactual thinking and the experience of envy allows for new predictions concerning situations under which envy is likely be more intense.
Keywords: Envy, Counterfactual thinking, Appraisal, Social comparison
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)954-971
JournalCognition and Emotion
Volume29
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Fingerprint

Envy
Counterfactual Thinking
Key Words
Thought Processes
Emotion
Thought
Prediction
Manipulation

Cite this

van de Ven, N. ; Zeelenberg, M. / On the counterfactual nature of envy : "It could have been me". In: Cognition and Emotion. 2015 ; Vol. 29, No. 6. pp. 954-971.
@article{040c67eb7a1348c0b90f34269fcb18e7,
title = "On the counterfactual nature of envy: {"}It could have been me{"}",
abstract = "We examined whether counterfactual thinking influences the experience of envy. Counterfactual thinking refers to comparing the situation as it is to what it could have been, and these thought processes have been shown to lead to a variety of emotions. We predicted that for envy the counterfactual thought “it could have been me” would be important. In four studies we found a clear link between such counterfactual thoughts and the intensity of envy. Furthermore, Studies 3 and 4 revealed that a manipulation known to affect the extent of counterfactual thinking (the perception of being close to obtaining the desired outcome oneself), had an effect on the intensity of envy via counterfactual thoughts. This relationship between counterfactual thinking and the experience of envy allows for new predictions concerning situations under which envy is likely be more intense.Keywords: Envy, Counterfactual thinking, Appraisal, Social comparison",
author = "{van de Ven}, N. and M. Zeelenberg",
year = "2015",
doi = "10.1080/02699931.2014.957657",
language = "English",
volume = "29",
pages = "954--971",
journal = "Cognition and Emotion",
issn = "0269-9931",
publisher = "Psychology Press Ltd",
number = "6",

}

van de Ven, N & Zeelenberg, M 2015, 'On the counterfactual nature of envy: "It could have been me"', Cognition and Emotion, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 954-971. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.957657

On the counterfactual nature of envy : "It could have been me". / van de Ven, N.; Zeelenberg, M.

In: Cognition and Emotion, Vol. 29, No. 6, 2015, p. 954-971.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - On the counterfactual nature of envy

T2 - "It could have been me"

AU - van de Ven, N.

AU - Zeelenberg, M.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - We examined whether counterfactual thinking influences the experience of envy. Counterfactual thinking refers to comparing the situation as it is to what it could have been, and these thought processes have been shown to lead to a variety of emotions. We predicted that for envy the counterfactual thought “it could have been me” would be important. In four studies we found a clear link between such counterfactual thoughts and the intensity of envy. Furthermore, Studies 3 and 4 revealed that a manipulation known to affect the extent of counterfactual thinking (the perception of being close to obtaining the desired outcome oneself), had an effect on the intensity of envy via counterfactual thoughts. This relationship between counterfactual thinking and the experience of envy allows for new predictions concerning situations under which envy is likely be more intense.Keywords: Envy, Counterfactual thinking, Appraisal, Social comparison

AB - We examined whether counterfactual thinking influences the experience of envy. Counterfactual thinking refers to comparing the situation as it is to what it could have been, and these thought processes have been shown to lead to a variety of emotions. We predicted that for envy the counterfactual thought “it could have been me” would be important. In four studies we found a clear link between such counterfactual thoughts and the intensity of envy. Furthermore, Studies 3 and 4 revealed that a manipulation known to affect the extent of counterfactual thinking (the perception of being close to obtaining the desired outcome oneself), had an effect on the intensity of envy via counterfactual thoughts. This relationship between counterfactual thinking and the experience of envy allows for new predictions concerning situations under which envy is likely be more intense.Keywords: Envy, Counterfactual thinking, Appraisal, Social comparison

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10411/20417

U2 - 10.1080/02699931.2014.957657

DO - 10.1080/02699931.2014.957657

M3 - Article

VL - 29

SP - 954

EP - 971

JO - Cognition and Emotion

JF - Cognition and Emotion

SN - 0269-9931

IS - 6

ER -

van de Ven N, Zeelenberg M. On the counterfactual nature of envy: "It could have been me". Cognition and Emotion. 2015;29(6):954-971. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.957657

Access to Document