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The Relationship Between Uncivil Behaviour, Social Identity and Schadenfreude: The Role of Deservingness and Emotions

Pınar Demir Asma, Hamit Coşkun

Research Article Volume 6 Issue 2 30 June 2024 Pages 202-221 10.47793/hp.1417599
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Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the effects of social identity and incivil behaviour on schadenfreude and mediating role of emotions and deservingness in these effects. For this purpose, 2 (uncivil behaviour: absent or present) x 2 (social identity: out-group absent or out-group present) quasi-experimental study was conducted with 254 university students by manipulating social identity and incivility. Participants assigned to one of the conditions of the study rated how much they felt the basic emotions after reading the first part of the story in which a target person's uncivil behavior and social identity were changed. After reading the story about the target person's misfortune, they filled in the form for perception of deservingness and the schadenfreude scale. It was found that uncivil behavior and social identity had an effect on schadenfreude and those who were exposed to uncivil behaviour more schadenfreude. In the relationship between incivility and schadenfreude, it was found that angry and deservingness has a mediating role. The main effect of social identity on schadenfreude was found to be significant. Participants in the out-group condition were found to feel more schadenfreude than participants without an out-group. The findings were discussed in the light of current literature and suggestions for further studies were made.

Keywords

negative social behaviour intergroup relations schadenfreude deservingness
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