The Impact of Chinese Expressions of Pride on Observers’ 1 Emotions and Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Envy
Description
Focusing on the Chinese context, this study investigates how winners' pride expression styles (authentic pride and hubristic pride) in a competitive context influence observers' emotional and behavioral responses to their misfortunes, and examines the mediating role of benign/malicious envy. A total of 428 subjects participated in three progressive experiments (scenario stories, live games, and remote tasks). Results showed: (1) Authentic pride winners received more sympathy and less schadenfreude than hubristic pride winners; (2) Malicious envy mediated the positive effect of hubristic pride on schadenfreude, and benign envy mediated the positive effect of authentic pride on sympathy; (3) Authentic pride winners received more practical help after misfortune; (4) Chinese observers show significantly more sympathy than schadenfreude. The study reveals the social functions of two-dimensional structure and its mediating mechanisms, and offers intervention approaches for adolescent moral education and fostering prosocial behavior in collectivistic cultures.