Home
Revenge may be all in the anticipation
Behavioral studies suggest that thinking about revenge stimulates the brain but that following through doesn't improve mood.
"Sweet is revenge," Lord Byron wrote in "Don Juan" — and how could it be otherwise?
Who wouldn't enjoy getting even with a sadistic boss, a two-faced friend who slept with your spouse or that teacher who had it in for your child for no good reason?
Most of us have revenge fantasies, human behavior researchers say, and nearly everyone believes that punishing someone who did him wrong would feel tremendously satisfying. But new studies suggest the reality of revenge is far different. Acting on vengeful thoughts often isn't nearly as gratifying as expected and — surprisingly — can even make people feel worse.
Still, the delicious pleasure anticipated from taking revenge is such a powerful drive that it appears to be hard-wired in the brain.
University of Zurich scientists found that merely contemplating revenge stimulates a region of the brain called the dorsal striatum, which is known to become active in anticipation of a reward or pleasure, such as making money or eating good food.
...
It's not surprising that our brains signal "pleasure" at the prospect of punishing someone who wronged us, says Michael McCullough, a University of Miami psychologist and author of "Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct." Although it can be a misguided, costly craving in the modern world, evolutionary psychologists believe the thirst for revenge ensured our ancestors' survival — retaliation was the only way for victims to deter aggressors from harming them or their tribes in the future.
"Revenge burrowed into the brain's reward system — it hitched a ride on our neurons — because it really was effective at deterring future harm," says McCullough, who notes that revenge is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom.
...
Although players predicted they'd feel much better after they retaliated, the reverse turned out to be true. The researchers measured their mood on a seven-point scale (with 7 being extremely satisfied) and found that avengers scored 1.5 points lower than other players who didn't get a chance to retaliate, according to results published in 2008 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. That's probably because they kept thinking about the ringer, while those who couldn't retaliate didn't dwell on the incident, says Carlsmith, who conducted the studies with colleagues at Harvard University and the University of Virginia.
...
The results suggest that dwelling on people who did us wrong tends to amplify anger and the instinct to retaliate, says study leader Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/18/health/la-he-revenge-20101018/3
Behavioral studies suggest that thinking about revenge stimulates the brain but that following through doesn't improve mood.
"Sweet is revenge," Lord Byron wrote in "Don Juan" — and how could it be otherwise?
Who wouldn't enjoy getting even with a sadistic boss, a two-faced friend who slept with your spouse or that teacher who had it in for your child for no good reason?
Most of us have revenge fantasies, human behavior researchers say, and nearly everyone believes that punishing someone who did him wrong would feel tremendously satisfying. But new studies suggest the reality of revenge is far different. Acting on vengeful thoughts often isn't nearly as gratifying as expected and — surprisingly — can even make people feel worse.
Still, the delicious pleasure anticipated from taking revenge is such a powerful drive that it appears to be hard-wired in the brain.
University of Zurich scientists found that merely contemplating revenge stimulates a region of the brain called the dorsal striatum, which is known to become active in anticipation of a reward or pleasure, such as making money or eating good food.
...
It's not surprising that our brains signal "pleasure" at the prospect of punishing someone who wronged us, says Michael McCullough, a University of Miami psychologist and author of "Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct." Although it can be a misguided, costly craving in the modern world, evolutionary psychologists believe the thirst for revenge ensured our ancestors' survival — retaliation was the only way for victims to deter aggressors from harming them or their tribes in the future.
"Revenge burrowed into the brain's reward system — it hitched a ride on our neurons — because it really was effective at deterring future harm," says McCullough, who notes that revenge is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom.
...
Although players predicted they'd feel much better after they retaliated, the reverse turned out to be true. The researchers measured their mood on a seven-point scale (with 7 being extremely satisfied) and found that avengers scored 1.5 points lower than other players who didn't get a chance to retaliate, according to results published in 2008 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. That's probably because they kept thinking about the ringer, while those who couldn't retaliate didn't dwell on the incident, says Carlsmith, who conducted the studies with colleagues at Harvard University and the University of Virginia.
...
The results suggest that dwelling on people who did us wrong tends to amplify anger and the instinct to retaliate, says study leader Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/18/health/la-he-revenge-20101018/3
