Something New: Integrating the Etiological Role of Schadenfreude and Freudenfreude

This chapter summarizes research showing elevations of schadenfreude and diminished levels of freudenfreude to be common among those with depressive symptoms, suggesting a possible etiological role for these factors. The chapter also includes two replications of the Chambliss et al. (2012) study. These replications were conducted in Europe using samples of students and hospitalized patients diagnosed with depression, and both supported the previously observed link between elevated schadenfreude and depression. Furthermore, when the student and patient samples were combined, depression scores were found to be positively correlated with schadenfreude scores and negatively correlated with freudenfreude scores. The observed differences in schadenfreude and freudenfreude might contribute to the development of depression, be a consequence of it, or both. These studies provide important information about the crossculturally consistent nature of both the relationship between schadenfreude and depression as well as the relationship between freudenfreude and depression.