Why do people prone to benign envy perform better? An examination based on achievement goal theory

要旨

This study investigated how trait benign envy enhanced academic performance within the framework of achievement goal theory. Two longitudinal surveys were conducted. Survey 1 followed 297 female undergraduates, and Survey 2 followed 232 female high-school students. First, we tested the applicability of the Japanese version of the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale, which is a measure of trait benign and malicious envy, in another undergraduate sample. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the original factor structure. The same structure was subsequently confirmed and further validated in a high-school sample, which supported the scale's applicability to a younger age group. Next, structural equation modeling was used to examine the link between envy and test scores, with achievement goals as mediators. In both surveys, trait benign envy positively predicted test scores through the mediating effect of performance-approach goals, whereas trait malicious envy showed no association with achievement goals. These findings suggest individuals prone to benign envy may attain higher academic performance, potentially because of their dispositional tendency to strive to outperform others.

主題