Schadenfreude
Understanding Pleasure at the Misfortune of Others

Why do we often enjoy other people's misfortune? This book provides a comprehensive summary of research on the emotion schadenfreude.

Wilco W. van Dijk (Edited by), Jaap W. Ouwerkerk (Edited by)

9781107017504, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 July 2014

334 pages, 10 b/w illus. 2 tables
23.1 x 15 x 2.3 cm, 0.62 kg

'As this collection suggests, schadenfreude is a neglected phenomenon … The scholars who contribute to this volume represent eight disciplines in the social sciences … and six different countries. The twenty essays address aspects of schadenfreude … such as hypocrisy, laughter, and morality and also its occurrence in nineteenth-century US literature. The book includes both theoretical and empirical studies and gives considerable attention to the concepts of 'deservingness', envy, and self-enhancement in regard to this emotion … This book is the first to give a solid and distinctive overview of schadenfreude from a social science perspective … Summing up: recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.' S. Halling, Choice

When someone suffers a mishap, a setback or a downfall, we sometimes find ourselves experiencing schadenfreude - an emotion defined as deriving pleasure from another's misfortune. Schadenfreude is a common experience and an emotion which is seemingly inherent to social being. This book offers a comprehensive summary of current theoretical and empirical work on schadenfreude from psychological, philosophical and other scientific perspectives. The chapters explore justice as an underlying motive for schadenfreude, and the role played by social comparison processes and envy in evoking pleasure at the misfortunes of others in interpersonal relations. Schadenfreude is also described as a common phenomenon in intergroup relations. This is a compelling volume on a fascinating subject matter that aims to increase our understanding of the nature of this emotion and the role it plays in social relations.

1. Introduction to schadenfreude Wilco W. van Dijk and Jaap W. Ouwerkerk
Part I. Schadenfreude as a Justice-Based Emotion: 2. Morality and schadenfreude John Portmann
3. Deservingness and schadenfreude N. T. Feather
4. Hypocrisy and schadenfreude Caitlin A. J. Powell
Part II. Schadenfreude as a Comparison-Based Emotion: 5. The personal comparative concern in schadenfreude Aaron Ben-Ze'ev
6. Empirical challenges to understanding the role of envy in schadenfreude Richard H. Smith, Stephen M. Thielke and Caitlin A. J. Powell
7. Malicious envy and schadenfreude Niels van de Ven
8. Schadenfreude and consumer behaviour Jill M. Sundie
9. Striving for positive self-evaluation as a motive for schadenfreude Wilco W. van Dijk and Jaap W. Ouwerkerk
Part III. Schadenfreude as an Intergroup Phenomenon: 10. Stereotypes and schadenfreude Mina Cikara and Susan T. Fiske
11. Schadenfreude in sports and politics: a social identity perspective D. Ryan Schurtz, David Combs, Charles Hoogland and Richard H. Smith
12. Intergroup rivalry and schadenfreude Jaap W. Ouwerkerk and Wilco W. van Dijk
13. Situating schadenfreude in social relations Colin Wayne Leach, Russell Spears and Anthony S. R. Manstead
Part IV. Schadenfreude and Related Phenomena: 14. Schadenfreude and laughter F. H. Buckley
15. Schadenfreude and the desire for vengeance Elise C. Seip, Mark Rotteveel, Lotte F. van Dillen and Wilco W. van Dijk
16. Schadenfreude and pouting John Portmann
Part V. Schadenfreude in Society, Language, and Literature: 17. Schadenfreude and social life: a comparative perspective on the expression and regulation of mirth at the expense of others Giselinde Kuipers
18. Tracing down schadenfreude in spontaneous interaction: evidence from corpus linguistics Kurt Feyaerts and Bert Oben
19. 'Smile not, however, I venture to repeat': schadenfreude in nineteenth-century American literature Diederik Oostdijk
20. Schadenfreude, concluding notes Agneta H. Fischer.

Subject Areas: Social, group or collective psychology [JMH], Psychology [JM]