Benign and malicious envy and its effects on cooperation in Chinese children

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the deservingness of envious objects on benign and malicious envy as well as the interaction effect of deservingness and envious type on cooperation in a public goods game (PGG). Participants included 458 children (Mage = 11.31 years, 50% girls) from four public schools in Shanghai, China. Children cooperated with the envied person in deserved and undeserved conditions and then reported their levels of benign and malicious envy. Results showed that undeserved objects triggered more intense benign and malicious envy in children. However, deservingness triggered different types of envious behavioral responses. Younger girls who reported more benign envy were more likely to cooperate in the deserved situation, whereas younger girls and boys who reported more malicious envy were less likely to cooperate in the undeserved situation. The findings highlighted the complex interplay between envy type and children’s age and gender in predicting their cooperation in deserved and undeserved situations.