The two-way relationship of interpersonal curiosity and daily envy.

Abstract

Objective: Envy and interpersonal curiosity are common emotional and psychological phenomena in relationships that collectively influence our social behavior and experiences. However, there is a research gap regarding the interaction between interpersonal curiosity and envy. Therefore, this study will primarily utilize daily diary methods to investigate the relationship between interpersonal curiosity and envy.

Method: Using the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale and the Chinese Adolescents' Interpersonal Curiosity Questionnaire, Study 1 conducted a preliminary study on 392 middle school students using cross-sectional data. Based on the data from Study 1, we selected the ten items (2 items per variable) with the highest factor load for the daily measurement of Study 2. Study 2 utilized the diary method and recruited 81 adolescents as participants for a 14-day measurement period.

Results: The results of Study 1indicate a significant correlation between malicious envy and interpersonal curiosity, as well as a significant correlation between benign envy and interpersonal curiosity (excluding general interpersonal curiosity). The findings from Study 2 indicate that daily malicious envy can enhance private interpersonal curiosity and general interpersonal curiosity, daily benign envy can enhance curiosity exploration, and daily curiosity exploration can also enhance benign envy.

Discussion: This study enhances comprehension of the two-way relationship between adolescent envy and interpersonal curiosity within the framework of social comparison theory. The findings underscore the significance of adolescents recognizing and respecting others' boundaries to mitigate the adverse effects linked to malicious envy. Furthermore, adolescents are encouraged to channel benign envy into a source of motivation, fostering personal growth and fostering positive relationships through curiosity exploration.