Investigating the effect of humble bragging on envy and schadenfreude

There are various methods and strategies of interpersonal communication in daily life. These methods are of great importance in determining the quality of interpersonal communication. Humblebragging, one of these methods, can be explained by a person's modesty while boasting or masking the bragging by complaining. This interpersonal impression method can elicit various kinds on emotions on the observers. Firstly, we will study the effect of humble bragging on envy that is experiencing inferiority and hostility because of the observation of superior others. In other words, it is the state of being hostile because some of the features that a person desires are not in oneself but in someone else. The other emotion we will investigate the effect of humblebragging is schadenfreude and it means having joy from the misfortunes of others. In the study, we will conduct experimental research to examine the effect of humblebragging on envy and schadenfreude (i.e., having joy from the misfortunes of others). It will be important in terms of achieving a result that people can use in daily life and strengthen their communication. It is expected that the participants in the humble bragging condition will experience more envy and schadenfreude and less liking compared to the participants in the bragging and control conditions. To that extent, 200 participants, aged between 18-35 will be reached. After reading the humble bragging manipulation scenarios, participants will complete the Emotion Measurement Form to measure the participants’ benign envy, malicious envy, and liking levels towards the person in the scenario. After completing this form, participants will be presented with a misfortune scenario about the target and they will complete the schadenfreude scale to measure their joy over this misfortune