Wang, Zuo Jun, Wang, Ya Meng, Wei, Ying, Zhang, Ting Ting, Wang, Fei, and Chan, Kai Qin (2024) Social Class, Schadenfreude, and Children’s Prosocial Behavior in Moral Contexts. Emotion, 24 (6). pp. 1417-1427.

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Abstract

Previous research has shown mixed results regarding the relationship between social class and children’s prosocial behavior. The current study aims to further our understanding of these findings by exploring the relationship between social class and children’s prosocial behavior in a moral context. Study 1 (N = 833) found that when a target child pursued a morally negative goal and subsequently experienced misfortune, children from higher social class, compared to those from lower social class, experienced greater schadenfreude and exhibited less prosocial behavior. The relation between social class and prosocial behavior was mediated by schadenfreude. Study 2 (N = 389) investigated whether the greater schadenfreude experienced by children from higher social class was due to a weaker empathic response to misfortune or a stronger sense of deservingness. The results revealed a sequential mediation effect of social class on prosocial behavior through deservingness and schadenfreude. These findings provide insight into the impact of social class on the development of children’s moral judgment, emotions, and behavior.

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