Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T15:39:31.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The fuzzy reality of perceived harms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

Sara Konrath
Affiliation:
Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. [email protected]
Irene Cheung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C2, Canada. [email protected]://www.wix.com/icheung4/uwo

Abstract

We review two subjective (mis)perceptions that influence revenge and forgiveness systems. Individual differences predict more (e.g., narcissism) or less (e.g., empathy) revenge, with the opposite pattern for forgiveness. Moreover, differences in victim versus perpetrator perceptions can influence revenge and forgiveness systems, perpetuating never-ending cycles of revenge. These two examples point to the need for theories of revenge and forgiveness to address the role of cognitive and motivational biases in the functionality of such behavioral responses.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baumeister, R. F., Stillwell, A. & Wotman, S. R. (1990) Victim and perpetrator accounts of interpersonal conflict: Autobiographical narratives about anger. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 59(5):9941005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, W. K. & Foster, C. A. (2002) Narcissism and commitment in romantic relationships: An investment model analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 28(4):484–95.Google Scholar
Campbell, W. K., Foster, C. & Finkel, E. J. (2002) Does self-love lead to love for others? A story of narcissistic game playing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 83(2):340–54.Google Scholar
Eisenberg, N. & Lennon, R. (1983) Sex differences in empathy and related capacities. Psychological Bulletin 94(1):100–31.Google Scholar
Exline, J. J., Baumeister, R. F., Bushman, B. J., Campbell, W. K. & Finkel, E. J. (2004) Too proud to let go: Narcissistic entitlement as a barrier to forgiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 87(6):894912.Google Scholar
Foster, J., Shrira, I. & Campbell, W. K. (2006) Theoretical models of narcissism, sexuality, and relationship commitment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 23(3):367–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearns, J. N. & Fincham, F. D. (2005) Victim and perpetrator accounts of interpersonal transgressions: Self-serving or relationship-serving biases? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 31(3):321–33.Google Scholar
Konrath, S., Bushman, B. & Grove, T. (2009) Seeing my world in a million little pieces: Narcissism, self-construal, and cognitive-perceptual style. Journal of Personality 77(4):1197–228. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00579.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lennon, R. & Eisenberg, N. (1989) Gender and age differences in emapthy and sympathy. In: Empathy and its development, ed. Eisenberg, N. & Strayer, J., pp. 195217. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Macaskill, A., Maltby, J. & Day, L. (2002) Forgiveness of self and others and emotional empathy. The Journal of Social Psychology 142(5):663–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., Kilpatrick, S. D. & Mooney, C. N. (2003) Narcissists as “victims”: The role of narcissism in the perception of transgressions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 29(7):885–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mullet, E., Neto, F. & Riviere, S. (2005) Personality and its effects on resentment, revenge, forgiveness, and self-forgiveness. In: Handbook of forgiveness, ed. Worthington, E. L. Jr., pp. 159–81. Routledge/Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Rhodewalt, F. & Morf, C. C. (1998) On self-aggrandizement and anger: A temporal analysis of narcissism and affective reactions to success and failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 74(3):672–85.Google Scholar
Schumann, K. & Ross, M. (2010) The benefits, costs, and paradox of revenge. Social and Personality Psychology Compass 4(12):1193–205. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00322.xGoogle Scholar
Stillwell, A. M., Baumeister, R. F. & Del Priore, R. E. (2008) We're all victims here: Toward a psychology of revenge. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 30(3):253–63. doi: 10.1080/01973530802375094CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuckless, N. & Goranson, R. (1992) The vengeance scale: Development of a measure of attitudes toward revenge. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 7(1):2542.Google Scholar
Twenge, J. & Campbell, W. K. (2003) “Isn't it fun to get the respect that we're going to deserve?” Narcissism, social rejection, and aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 29(2):261–72.Google Scholar
Twenge, J., Konrath, S., Foster, J., Campbell, W. K. & Bushman, B. (2008) Egos inflating over time: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality 76(4):875902; discussion 903-828. doi: JOPY507 [pii] 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00507.xGoogle Scholar
Zechmeister, J. S. & Romero, C. (2002) Victim and offender accounts of interpersonal conflict: Autobiographical narratives of forgiveness and unforgiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82(4):675–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed