Understanding Schadenfreude through Personality Factors and Relational Aggression

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explain the mediator role of relational aggression between schadenfreude and personality traits through the path model. Dark traits, agreeableness and hostility as personality factors are thought to be related to relational aggression according to General Aggression Model. Thus, the model was proposed by the author which included direct and indirect effects of personality factors on relational aggression and schadenfreude. 306 adults completed an online survey comprising dark triad, Proactive/Reactive Relational Aggression, agreeableness, and hostility scales and author-generated measure of expressed schadenfreude. Path analysis revealed that schadenfreude was predicted by only reactive but not with proactive relational aggression. Moreover, schadenfreude was predicted by the dark triad indirectly through reactive relational aggression. The dark triad was also predicted by agreeableness and hostility. Although reactive and proactive relational aggression were predicted by agreeableness and hostility, only reactive agression had a mediator role between personality traits (agreeableness, dark triad, hostility) and schadenfreude. Findings and implications for the future research were discussed. Limitations of the current study were also mentioned.