Citation

Ent MR, Parton DM. Psychol. Rep. 2019; ePub(ePub): 33294119841846.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0033294119841846

PMID

31027471

Abstract

In two studies, victims differed from perpetrators as to whether they viewed a transgression as motivated by a desire for revenge. When participants wrote about autobiographical episodes in which they hurt others, they were somewhat likely to report that they were motivated by revenge; when the same participants wrote about episodes in which others hurt them, they were less likely to report that the perpetrators were motivated by revenge. This asymmetry could act as a barrier to reconciliation. This asymmetry may also facilitate a cycle of revenge in that those who view themselves as the targets of unprovoked aggression (as opposed to vengeance) may be especially likely to feel that they have a score to settle.

Language: en

Keywords

Revenge; aggression; perpetrators; victims