Drivers and Outcome of Destructive Envy Behavior in an Economic Game Setting

Abstract

Although economic research acknowledges the powerful influence of envy, little is known about what drives destructive envy behavior. We address this gap by using evolutionary theory as a framework to better understand destructive envy behavior and to link it to psychological drivers. We use an experiment in which subjects participated in a lottery intended to evoke envy in the losers. Participants were subsequently offered the possibility of paying to reduce the other participant’s balance. The results make it possible for us to identify the most influential drivers of destructive envy behavior, and enable discussion of implications of such behavior for economics.

Keywords: Envy, Emotions, Economic Decision Making, Other-Regarding Behavior

JEL Classification: C92, D03, D31, D63