In addition to being a deadly sin, envy serves a social purpose.

Students participated in a study at the Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and the University of Texas at Austin to measure the effects of envy on social functions related to attention and memory, said Danielle DelPriore, co-author of the study, in an email.

Researchers made a point to distinguish between envy and jealousy. Envy is an aversion emotion that we experience when we lack something desirable, like an expensive car or a high status position. Jealousy, on the other hand, involves already possessing something and being afraid of losing it to someone else, DelPriore said.

Small groups of university students participated in study sessions. Study materials were then relayed via computer. In the first study, students described a scenario in which they were envious, DelPriore said. In the second through fourth studies, participants were shown attractive and wealthy individuals of the same sex. The participants were then measured for attention memory and persistence on an anagram-solving task.

The study found that envy isn’t just an unpleasant emotional experience, but it serves a purpose in society. Because envy specifically helps people focus their attention and enhance their memory for information regarding advantaged persons, individuals can use this information to obtain similar advantages for themselves, she said.

Essentially, envy is useful because it can be used as a motivator that allows one to see how hard work can pay off, according to the study.

‘It makes sense. Envy gives you a glimpse at the potential in yourself and makes you want to reach that potential,’ said Zach Jacobs, a fifth-year architecture student at Syracuse University.

The study also found that women were more likely to be envious of other attractive women, more so than men were envious of other men, according to an Oct. 10 article published by The New York Times

In terms of evolution, women find beauty more important to obtain reproductive success, according to the article. The study also found wealth matters equally for both sexes, possibly because monetary value is important for reproduction for both genders.

Cody Grosser, a senior biology and psychology major at SU, said he understands how women may be more envious of appearances because of both biological and societal pressures.

‘I feel like a lot more pressure are on women in society than men to look a certain way, at least in the U.S.,’ he said.

Meaghan Fitzpatrick, a senior biochemistry major, said this can be easily seen on the SU campus.

‘I just feel like girls take a lot longer to get ready and would rather skip class than not put on their mascara,’ she said. ‘You see guys walking around with pinnies, sweatshirts and boots.’

[email protected] 

Published on October 17, 2011 at 12:00 pm