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Individual‐based relative deprivation as a response to interpersonal help: The roles of status discrepancy and type of help
Author(s) -
Zhang Hong,
Deng Weijing,
Wei Li
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/bjso.12345
Subject(s) - psychology , anger , interpersonal communication , resentment , affect (linguistics) , autonomy , social psychology , dependency (uml) , interpersonal interaction , interpersonal relationship , perception , developmental psychology , communication , systems engineering , neuroscience , politics , political science , law , engineering
Individual‐based relative deprivation (IRD) refers to anger and resentment associated with upward interpersonal comparison. Four studies investigated whether and when IRD can be a result of receiving help. In all the studies, we found an interaction between type of help (i.e., autonomy‐oriented vs. dependency‐oriented help) and status discrepancy such that participants experienced a higher level of IRD after receiving dependency‐oriented help from a higher status helper than in other conditions. This interaction emerged uniquely on IRD, but not on general affect, self‐esteem, or evaluations of helper. Moreover, Study 3 indicated that the perception of a diminished likelihood of changing mediated the impact of dependency‐oriented, high‐status help on IRD. Study 4 showed that IRD stemming from such help was positively associated with prioritizing self‐interest over others’. Implications for research on help and IRD are discussed.