Description

The Benign and Malicious Envy Scale (BeMaS) is an assessment tool designed to measure two different forms of envy: benign envy and malicious envy. Benign envy typically motivates the individual to improve and achieve what they envy, whereas malicious envy often leads to negative emotions and a desire to reduce the well-being of the other person.

Purpose

The main purpose of the BeMaS is to distinguish and evaluate the intensity and nature of the envy individuals experience. This tool is used in psychological research to better understand the effects of the two forms of envy on human behavior, personal well-being, and social relationships.

Analysis

The BeMaS consists of two subscales that measure benign and malicious envy:
Benign Envy:
Includes statements related to the desire for self-improvement, inspired by the success of others.
Example statement: “When I see someone achieve something I want, I feel motivated to work harder.”
Malicious Envy:
Includes statements that express negative emotions and the desire to diminish the other person’s well-being.
Example statement: “When I see someone achieve something I want, I feel that this person does not deserve that success.”
Participants are asked to respond to each statement using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree).

Scoring

The total score for each subscale is calculated by summing the scores of the individual statements belonging to that subscale. Higher scores on benign envy indicate a greater tendency toward positive motivation through envy, while higher scores on malicious envy indicate a greater tendency toward negative emotions and thoughts toward those they envy.

References

Lange, J., & Crusius, J. (2015). Dispositional envy revisited: Unraveling the motivational dynamics of benign and malicious envy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(2), 284–294.
Smith, R. H., Parrott, W. G., Diener, E. F., Hoyle, R. H., & Kim, S. H. (1999). Dispositional envy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(8), 1007–1020.
van de Ven, N., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2009). Leveling up and down: The experiences of benign and malicious envy. Emotion, 9(3), 419–429.
Smith, R. H. (2008). Envy: Theory and research. Oxford University Press.
van de Ven, N., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2011). Why envy outperforms admiration. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(6), 784–795.