Cited by 508Emotions and Moral BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesExperimental Behavioral Economics Studies

When your gain is my pain and your pain is my gain: neural correlates of envy and schadenfreude

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Takahashi, Hidehiko, Kato, Motoichiro, Matsuura, Masato, Mobbs, Dean, Suhara, Tetsuya, Okubo, Yoshiro·2009·Science

Abstract

We often evaluate the self and others from social comparisons. We feel envy when the target person has superior and self-relevant characteristics. Schadenfreude occurs when envied persons fall from grace. To elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms of envy and schadenfreude, we conducted two functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. In study one, the participants read information concerning target persons characterized by levels of possession and self-relevance of comparison domains. When the target person's possession was superior and self-relevant, stronger envy and stronger anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation were induced. In study two, stronger schadenfreude and stronger striatum activation were induced when misfortunes happened to envied persons. ACC activation in study one predicted ventral striatum activation in study two. Our findings document mechanisms of painful emotion, envy, and a rewarding reaction, schadenfreude.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1165604

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Authors
Takahashi, H., Kato, M., Matsuura, M., Mobbs, D., Suhara, T., & Okubo, Y.
Affiliations
Tokyo Medical and Dental University (JP)
Corresponding author
Takahashi, Hidehiko
Venue
Science
Published
2009-02-13
Volume
323
Issue
5916
Pages
937-939
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2002818000
Cited by
508
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 25
FWCI
40.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-nd
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • QST-Repository (National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
Keywords
envy, schadenfreude, social comparison, anterior cingulate cortex, ventral striatum, neural correlates of emotion, self-relevance, possession, misfortune, reward
MeSH terms
Basal Ganglia, Brain, Brain Mapping, Emotions, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Happiness, Humans, Jealousy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pain, Reward, Self Concept, Social Behavior, Social Perception, Young Adult

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