#upwardmobility — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: August 19, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

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TITLE: Emotional intelligence predicts whether envy leads to self-improvement or hostility

URL: https://www.psypost.org/emotional-intelligence-predicts-whether-envy-leads-to-self-improvement-or-hostility/

A recent study published in Personality and Individual Differences suggests that a person’s ability to regulate their emotions predicts how they experience envy. The findings indicate that higher emotion regulation skills are linked to benign envy, which motivates self-improvement, rather than malicious envy, which breeds hostility. This provides evidence that emotional intelligence may help channel uncomfortable feelings into constructive actions.

Envy is a common emotion that occurs when an individual lacks a desired advantage held by someone else. Christophe Haag, a professor of organizational behavior at emlyon business school in France and author of the book Le Petit Guide illustré de l’intelligence émotionnelle, designed the study to investigate how distinct forms of this emotion operate.

“A major goal of my research is to understand emotions at a fine-grained level, particularly unpleasant emotions and the very different consequences they can have,” Haag said. “I actually try to avoid describing emotions themselves as ‘positive’ or ‘negative,’ as is still often done. I think it is more accurate to describe emotions in terms of their valence—as pleasant or unpleasant—and to reserve ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ for the consequences they may have for ourselves or for others.”

Although often viewed as entirely negative, psychological research separates envy into two distinct types. Benign envy is an unpleasant but motivating feeling that pushes a person toward upward striving and self-improvement. Malicious envy is characterized by hostility and a desire to pull the other person down.

“Envy is a fascinating example,” Haag said. “Like its close cousin jealousy, it is pervasive in our social lives, yet its unpleasantness does not tell us whether its consequences will be constructive or destructive. Envy can motivate us to improve ourselves, but it can also lead us to hostility and to wanting to bring someone else down. I wanted to understand whether emotional intelligence—and particularly the ability to regulate emotions—might help explain these very different motivational trajectories.”

Both states feel uncomfortable, but they lead to very different behavioral outcomes. The reason for this divergence in motivational direction remains an open question in affective science. The way people interpret and manage emotional signals might determine whether they treat an upward social comparison as actionable information or a threat to their self-worth. Emotional intelligence provides a framework to understand this process.

Emotional intelligence encompasses several cognitive abilities related to perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions. Many previous studies on the topic have relied on self-report questionnaires, which measure how individuals perceive their own skills. Self-perceived competence often overlaps with general confidence. To get a more accurate picture, scientists increasingly use ability-based tests, which measure actual performance on emotional reasoning tasks.

Within this ability-based framework, emotion regulation is the specific capacity to select and apply the most effective strategy to achieve a desired emotional state. The current research focuses on this regulatory stage. The capacity to handle emotional responses after they are activated might shift the trajectory of envy. The researcher designed the study to test whether emotion regulation ability predicts a tendency toward constructive self-improvement rather than destructive interpersonal responses.

The researcher surveyed 442 French-speaking adults who were recruited online through social media platforms. The sample consisted of 88.5 percent women. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 72 years, with an average age of about 40.

Participants completed a performance-based assessment of emotion regulation ability rather than a self-report questionnaire. This measure required participants to read four emotionally demanding situations, such as coping with guilt or fostering trust. For each scenario, they had to select the most effective strategy for managing the emotion. Scores on this regulation test were calculated as the proportion of correct answers, ranging from 0 to 1, with the sample scoring an average of 0.539, or roughly 54 percent correct.

Participants also completed a 10-item survey rating their tendencies to experience benign and malicious envy on a scale from 1 to 6. The average score for benign envy was 3.74, suggesting a moderate presence of self-improvement motives. The average score for malicious envy was much lower at 1.66. To isolate the specific role of emotion regulation, the researcher measured and controlled for several other variables known to influence emotional responses.

These control variables included global self-esteem, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, age, and gender. Attachment anxiety, for example, involves a heightened fear of rejection, which can amplify defensive reactions in social situations. Incorporating these measures allowed the analysis to account for baseline differences in how people process interpersonal threats.

The statistical analysis indicated that higher emotion regulation ability positively predicted benign envy. A standard deviation increase in emotion regulation ability was associated with a 0.165 standard deviation increase in benign envy scores. In contrast, the association between emotion regulation ability and malicious envy was not statistically significant. A mathematical comparison of the two pathways showed that the relationship with benign envy was stronger than the relationship with malicious envy.

Alongside the main analysis, the researcher also conducted exploratory tests using a broader assessment that measured seven distinct emotional abilities.

“What I found particularly interesting was that emotion-regulation ability was associated specifically with benign envy rather than simply with lower levels of envy,” Haag told PsyPost. “That distinction matters. Emotional intelligence does not appear here as a mechanism that suppresses an unpleasant emotion; rather, it may be associated with the direction that emotion takes.”

Haag noted that emotion regulation was the emotional ability most strongly associated with benign envy among the seven abilities measured.

“This result should be interpreted cautiously, but it is consistent with the idea that regulation may be particularly relevant to what happens after an emotion has been activated,” Haag said.

The control variables also provided context for how envy unfolds. Participants with higher self-esteem reported higher levels of benign envy and lower levels of malicious envy. Attachment anxiety was strongly linked to higher levels of malicious envy. Older participants reported lower levels of both types of envy compared to younger participants.

Even when accounting for these personality and demographic factors, emotion regulation ability maintained its unique association with benign envy.

“The main takeaway is that an unpleasant emotion is not necessarily a ‘negative’ emotion in terms of its consequences,” Haag said. “What matters is not only what we feel, but what that emotion leads us to think and do. In our study, people with greater emotion-regulation ability were more likely to report benign envy—the form of envy that motivates self-improvement—whereas emotion-regulation ability was not significantly associated with malicious envy, which involves hostility and the desire to reduce another person’s advantage.”

The pattern suggests that the cognitive capacity to manage emotions effectively operates independently of a person’s general self-worth or relationship insecurities.

“So emotional intelligence may not make unpleasant emotions disappear—and that is not necessarily what we should want it to do,” Haag said. “Instead, it may help orient their consequences. In the case of envy, the useful question may therefore be less ‘How do I stop feeling this?’ and more ‘What is this emotion going to make me do?'”

The cross-sectional design of the survey means that the data represent a single snapshot in time. “The most important caveat is that this is a cross-sectional study, so we cannot establish causality,” Haag said. “We cannot conclude from these data that greater emotion-regulation ability causes envy to become constructive.”

It is possible that repeatedly engaging in constructive self-improvement over time enhances a person’s regulatory reasoning skills, rather than the other direction. The demographics of the participant pool also present certain constraints. “The sample was also predominantly female, and our performance-based measure of emotion regulation was relatively brief,” Haag said.

Testing more diverse, gender-balanced samples would help clarify whether these emotional pathways operate uniformly across different populations. “Replication with more diverse samples, broader measures, and longitudinal or experimental designs will therefore be important,” Haag said.

“One interpretation I would particularly like to avoid is that emotionally intelligent people experience ‘positive emotions’ rather than ‘negative emotions,'” Haag said. “That is not what our findings suggest. An emotionally intelligent person can experience an intensely unpleasant emotion. The important question is what that emotion subsequently produces—for the person and for others.”

Future experimental research could observe individuals in real time to see how they manage induced episodes of envy. “I would like to continue examining emotions at this finer level, particularly unpleasant emotions such as envy, jealousy, anger, fear, or guilt,” Haag said. “Rather than asking whether these emotions are inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ I am interested in identifying the conditions under which they produce adaptive or maladaptive consequences.”

Such real-time observations could map out how specific mental abilities redirect uncomfortable social comparisons. “One important next step would be to induce envy experimentally and observe, in real time, how people with different levels of emotion-regulation ability respond to it,” Haag said. “More broadly, I want to better understand when emotional intelligence helps transform an unpleasant emotional signal into useful information and constructive action—and when that process fails.”

“I think the broader message extends well beyond envy,” Haag said. “Emotions themselves are not intrinsically positive or negative. They can be pleasant or unpleasant; what can become positive or negative are their consequences for ourselves and for others.”

Envy provides a vivid example of how the same underlying feeling can motivate vastly different behaviors. “Envy illustrates this particularly well,” Haag said. “Faced with someone who has something we desire, the discomfort can push us in two radically different directions: ‘I want to bring that person down’ or ‘I want to raise myself up.'”

“The emotion is unpleasant in both cases,” Haag said. “What changes is where it takes us. Understanding what determines that direction is, to me, one of the most interesting questions in the science of emotions.”

The study, “Emotional intelligence shapes the motivational direction of envy,” was authored by Christophe Haag.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/emotional-intelligence-predicts-whether-envy-leads-to-self-improvement-or-hostility/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #EmotionalIntelligence #Envy #BenignEnvy #MaliciousEnvy #EmotionRegulation #SelfImprovement #ConstructiveBehavior #UpwardMobility #AffectiveScience #PsychologyResearch

How Does the American Dream Differ by Generation? – AOL.com

How Does the American Dream Differ by Generation?

By Alan Joseph, Sun, January 4, 2026 at 10:04 AM PST

If you asked your grandparents what the American Dream meant, they might opine on the classic tale of hard work leading to homeownership with the white picket fence, perhaps in a quiet neighborhood where everyone knew each other.

But your parents may have a different view. They may focus on the relief and peace of mind that comes with paying off their mortgage.

For young people today, the American Dream feels increasingly out of reach. While they still value traditional milestones, rising costs and an ever-changing economic landscape have made some give up on the idea of chasing the American Dream.

What is the American Dream?

“The American Dream” was coined 94 years ago by James Truslow Adams, according to the Library of Congress. Nearly a century later, the concept is still as relevant as ever. Despite the mutability of the term and how different generations perceive it, the broad assumption about the American Dream essentially boils down to upward economic mobility: If people work hard, success is within reach.

Read More: Salary Needed To Achieve the American Dream in the 50 Largest Cities

Take On: 6 Safe Accounts Proven To Grow Your Money Up To 13x Faster

What Young People Feel About the American Dream

A UCLA study from this year found that 60% of Gen Zers believe attaining the American Dream on their own would be difficult due to economic barriers. For Gen Z, the American Dream means good mental and physical health, personal fulfillment and financial success. Yet, 74% believe it’s harder to be happy now compared to previous generations, with financial stress being the biggest reason.

This sentiment should not be dismissed, as it raises important, broader questions about the nation’s long-term outlook.

If upcoming generations lose faith in their country’s institutions or in the long-held belief that hard work leads to financial stability, the social contract at some point will begin to erode.

But not all hope is lost, according to an expert whom GOBankingRates spoke with.

Rethinking the Dream

To investigate how young people can regain a sense of control and become financially secure, GOBankingRates spoke with Robert R. Johnson, CFA, and professor of finance at Creighton University.

Johnson warns young people not to lament over the American Dream, which he believes is an amorphous concept that has evolved. Instead of chasing antiquated goalposts, Johnson maintains that young people can, in fact, achieve financial security.

One timeless strategy, Johnson said, is investing in the stock market through low-cost, highly diversified index funds. He believes this is a better alternative to investing in real estate, which he said carries “large financial risks,” by exposing investors to an “undiversified, indivisible and often illiquid asset.”

Johnson also emphasized the importance of taking advantage of tax incentives through 401(k) plans and IRAs. Learning how to use these accounts effectively can help young people grow their investments more efficiently while benefiting from potential employer matches.

Key Takeaways

The American Dream has shifted across three generations. What emerges from Johnson’s insight is that upward economic mobility is still attainable — but through modern strategies.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: How Does the American Dream Differ by Generation? – AOL

Class is funny. One of the guys I play DnD with grew up on the other side of Cleveland from me.

We were sitting down and getting out notebooks and dice and I said "Hey, I was in Parma last weekend for a wedding. Right behind the old Armory." He goes "Oh, yeah."

The other two guys thought I went to Italy for the weekend.

#socioeconomic #class #upwardmobility

2/ 🧵When I was younger, the phrase ‘upward mobility’ was a key part of any economic talk or policy. Government was focused on providing pathways to prosperity and to the middle class. Poverty was not viewed as permanent. Jobs were plentiful, wages were fair for the time. Now, our leaders, financed by corporate and billionaire dollars, are intent on keeping us down, extracting as much wealth as possible (think subscriptions for everything and rising costs with shrinking packaging) while distracting us with bogus social/cultural war issues and massive #Disinformation campaigns. #USPOL #USPolitics #economics #MiddleClass #UpwardMobility

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Patreon.com/xodaniwrites

Still in dire need of gaining more patrons to have a stable living income! Consider subscribing to a Native writer monthly. For the price of a coffee u could help keep my family afloat!

#upwardmobility #NdnsOnPatreon #BuyNative #IndigenousPeoplesDay

It's been 5 years since we were displaced to So's homelands in CA, after the eviction from my ancestral homelands in St Paul, we been staying with inlaws, and we finally have an opportunity to move towards building upward mobility, if we can get repaired.

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My patreon: xodaniwrites My ko-fi: xo_dc (xodanicreations)

#socialmobility #upwardmobility #upwardmobilitynetworking #patreon

Daily reminder that If I could get subscribers on Patreon & Kofi to get an income that would cover my needs (more than the current $200 or less a month) I wouldn't need to be asking for mutual aid so consistently. 💕

My patreon: xodaniwrites
My ko-fi: xo_dc (xodanicreations)

#upwardmobility #socialmobility

Spaces about #socialmobility #upwardmobility will encourage more anti capitalist incentives. Folks who have lost societal backing because they divested in some way still need an income. But with enough priviledged folks redistributing their wealth, they can help off set and provide where oppressors have attempted to sabotage.

I encourage other marginalized folks to use #SocialMobility #UpwardMobility tags to promote monthly subscriptions or other means of inquiring for long term collective financial support, unmet labor compensation.

Daily reminder that If I could get subscribers on Patreon & Kofi to get an income that would cover my needs (more than the current $200 or less a month) I wouldn't need to be asking for mutual aid so consistently. 💕
My patreon: xodaniwrites
My ko-fi: xo_dc (xodanicreations)

#SocialMobility #UpwardMobility

So ull see me posting more in #socialmobility #upwardmobility tags. We need more strategy for folks looking to overcome classism by creating equity rather than punching down on poor ppl for existing. These spaces are for folks who want to see ppl impacted by colonialism and capitalism achieve upward mobility instead of being stuck in poverty with zero income or compensated labor wages.

Native disabled and unemployed family of 6, mutual aid links for groceries, toiletries, general survival:

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