EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE
THE GRASS IS ALWAYS
GREENER
Who
BY INGA KIDERRA
HERE ’ S GOOD NEWS FOR GETTING OLDER : Overwhelmingly , people envied others of A recent UC San Diego study shows that approximately their own age — and of their young adults are more envious than their own gender . Men envied other men and elders — and about more things . This was women envied women . the major finding of a paper published by
“ It surprised us ,” says Harris . “ Even in psychology professor Christine Harris , domains like financial and occupational
Warren ’ 87 , M . A . ’ 95 , Ph . D . ’ 98 , and graduate student Nicole Henniger , M . A . ’ 11 . success , where you can imagine that a woman might envy a man over his better The pair found that envy was a common pay or status , that wasn ’ t usually the case .” experience , with more than three‐fourths What about differences in what men and of all study participants having experienced the emotion in the last year . any differences , though men were seen to
women envy ? In most areas there weren ’ t
Though slightly more women reported covet occupational success more often feeling envious than men , the experience than women ( 41 percent to 24 percent ), saw a marked decline as the respondents ’ while women envied looks more often than age increased . Where 80 percent of people men ( 23.8 percent to 13.5 percent ), with under 30 reported feeling envious , only the difference in the latter fueled by the 69 percent of those aged 50 and over did . younger cohort .
What people envied also varied with age . The paper is unable to suss out whether Young people reported more frequently the differences observed with age are due feeling envious over physical looks and to psychological changes over the lifespan romantic prowess , as well as achievement or differences between generations . at school and social success . For example , “ Either finding is interesting ,” Henniger 40 percent of participants under 30 said and Harris write in their paper , “ but only they envied others for their success in future longitudinal research can distinguish between these two options .” romance while fewer than 15 percent of those over 50 said the same .
However , Harris has a gut feeling that we
“ Envy of monetary success and occupational success was common across all age years . “ My hunch is that the hold envy has
can all look forward to less envy in our later
groups ,” report Harris and Henniger , “ but on people diminishes with time . My guess these two domains were unique in being is that it ’ s good news about aging .” more often envied by older people .”
’ s the most envious of them all ?
Henniger and Harris studied the grass on both sides of the fence , as research participants reflected on their own feelings of envy , as well as being envied by others . *
AGE OF SUBJECTS WHO EXPERIENCED ENVY :
80 % 69 %
Under 30 Over 50
AGE OF THOSE ENVIOUS OF OTHERS ’ ROMANTIC SUCCESS :
40 % 15 %
Under 30 Over 50
GENDER OF SUBJECTS REPORTING ENVY IN THE LAST YEAR
79 % 74 %
Women
Men
* Study participants ( about 1,700 ppl .) were mostly American , aged 18 to 80 years old .
12 TRITON | SPRING 2016