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Related Experiment Video

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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
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Individual differences in spite predict costly third-party punishment.

José L Martínez1, Jon K Maner1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

Journal of Personality
|February 28, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Trait spite, the tendency to harm others at personal cost, can promote beneficial costly punishment of selfish behavior. This motivation, independent of dark personality traits, is driven by a desire for retribution.

Keywords:
dark personalitiespunishmentretributionselfishnessspite

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Personality Psychology

Background:

  • Spiteful behaviors involve self-inflicted costs to harm others.
  • While often destructive, spite may play a role in enforcing social norms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential socially beneficial aspect of spite: costly punishment of selfish behavior.
  • To examine the relationship between trait spite and costly punishment, independent of other dark personality traits.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a costly third-party punishment task across four studies.
  • Assessed individual differences in spite, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
  • Measured motivations underlying punishment behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Trait spite positively correlated with costly punishment of selfishness, independent of dark triad traits.
  • This association was mediated by a desire for retribution.
  • Spite also predicted costly punishment of generosity, mediated by a desire to threaten.

Conclusions:

  • Costly punishment of wrongdoing is vital for group cooperation.
  • Spiteful motivations, particularly the desire for retribution, contribute to enforcing social norms and maintaining cooperation.