Enjoying the act of causing pain to others, known as schadenfreude in German, can surprisingly lead to positive outcomes, such as raising funds for charity by engaging in activities like throwing pies at people.
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Thomas Kramer, a marketing professor at UC Riverside School of Business, and his colleagues delve into the psychology behind schadenfreude and its applications in marketing.
The research offers valuable insights for the competitive world of charitable fundraising, which brings in around $485 billion annually in the United States.
The key takeaway is that when leveraging schadenfreude for fundraising events, it’s essential to keep the misfortune inflicted mild and not cross over into cruelty. Examples include throwing pies or dunking individuals in water tanks – activities that are humorous rather than harmful.
In one intriguing finding, participants in Kramer’s studies were more inclined to donate when imagining disliked celebrities being drenched with ice water rather than receiving more severe punishments like being shocked with a taser.
Kramer explains that if the punishment exceeds what is perceived as fair, the joy derived from it diminishes, leading to a decrease in donations. He applies his expertise in behavioral psychology to understand how these dynamics influence donor behavior.
Other key findings from the study include:
• Both those who actively cause the mild misfortune and those who observe it are equally likely to donate to the cause.
• Donors need to harbor a level of disdain towards the recipient of the misfortune to experience pleasure from witnessing their ‘punishment’.
The study involved numerous participants at the University of Florida and individuals recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk, who were asked to envision different scenarios of schadenfreude.
In their assessments, participants rated the level of dislike towards the person, the perceived deservingness of the misfortune, and their willingness to donate (ranging from $0 to $10) to throw a pie at that individual. Higher donations were linked to a stronger sense of deserved punishment. The study also found that milder forms of misfortune led to higher donations compared to severe forms.
Titled “The Ironic Impact of Schadenfreude: When the Joy of Inflicting Pain Leads to Increased Prosocial Behavior,” the paper was co-authored by Yael Zemack-Rugar from the University of Central Florida and Laura Boman from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
