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Revenge, even though it is not your fault
1Department of Psychology and Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China. rongjun.yu@gmail.com
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|December 6, 2012
Summary
Revenge deters future harm by altering incentives. This commentary suggests revenge also alleviates psychological pain from unfairness, even when unintentional.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Revenge is often viewed as a backward-looking response to perceived wrongdoing.
- McCullough et al. propose a future-oriented function of revenge, focusing on deterrence.
- Emerging research indicates revenge is sought even for unintentional harms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report findings on revenge for unintentional harms.
- To propose an additional function of revenge: immediate psychological pain reduction.
- To integrate deterrence and pain-alleviation theories of revenge.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and theoretical commentary.
- Analysis of existing research on revenge motivations.
- Synthesis of findings on intentional vs. unintentional harms.
Main Results:
- Individuals seek revenge even when harms are unintentional.
- Revenge serves to alter the incentives of others to prevent future harms.
- Revenge may provide immediate psychological relief from unfair treatment.
Conclusions:
- Revenge has a future-oriented function in deterring future harms.
- Revenge can also serve as an immediate coping mechanism for psychological distress.
- Understanding revenge requires considering both its deterrent and pain-alleviating roles.
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