RESEARCH_FILE
Niels van de Ven
Tilburg University
Known for:Experimental research distinguishing benign from malicious envy, showing that perceived deservingness determines which form emerges and that benign envy drives upward motivation more than admiration does
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“Their success is just luck”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Luck may be part of it, but it is not the whole story.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open a blank note and make two short headings: 'Seen' and 'Assumed.' Under 'Seen,' list three concrete details from the success you observed; under 'Assumed,' write the luck story in one sentence. Save it without sending it.
Key findings
- 2009
With Marcel Zeelenberg and Rik Pieters, van de Ven demonstrated across multiple studies that envy is not a unitary emotion but splits into benign envy (motivating self-improvement when the advantage is seen as deserved) and malicious envy (motivating harm to the other when it is seen as undeserved). Leveling Up and Down: The Experiences of Benign and Malicious Envy ↗
- 2009
The same research found that benign envy — unlike admiration — drives increased persistence on challenging tasks because the uncomfortable motivational pressure of envy is active in a way that admiration's pleasant focus on the other person is not. Leveling Up and Down: The Experiences of Benign and Malicious Envy ↗