Source Of Schadenfreude Found!

[Disillusioned]

Jealousy spot on the brain identified by scientists

Monday, February 16, 2009

There is a monster living inside your brain – the green-eyed one, in fact.

The area of the brain which controls jealousy has been found, scientists have ­announced.

It is the same part which detects real physical pain – perhaps explaining why feeling envious of your lover's philandering ways hurts so much.

'It's interesting the part of the brain which detects physical pain is also associated with mental pain,' said Hidehiko Takahashi, who led the research.

'Assessing these feelings of jealousy will possibly be helpful in mental care such as counselling.'

The spot which makes people delight in others' misfortune – called schadenfreude – was also located by the team. In the experiments, 19 students were asked to talk of a more successful rival while having MRI scans, which monitor brain activity.

A part of their frontal lobe became more active when the students felt jealous of their rivals, the Japanese study showed.

They then read a story in which the subject of their envy suffered a series of misfortunes, including food poisoning.

Their scan data showed the mishaps sparked greater activity in the 'reward reaction' part of the brain, which normally lights up when receiving social and financial fortune. 'We now have a better understanding of the mechanism at work when people take pleasure in another's misfortune,' added Mr Takahashi.

[West Hampstead]

Jealousy spot on the brain identified by scientists

Monday, February 16, 2009

There is a monster living inside your brain � the green-eyed one, in fact.

The area of the brain which controls jealousy has been found, scientists have �announced.

It is the same part which detects real physical pain � perhaps explaining why feeling envious of your lover's philandering ways hurts so much.

'It's interesting the part of the brain which detects physical pain is also associated with mental pain,' said Hidehiko Takahashi, who led the research.

'Assessing these feelings of jealousy will possibly be helpful in mental care such as counselling.'

The spot which makes people delight in others' misfortune � called schadenfreude � was also located by the team. In the experiments, 19 students were asked to talk of a more successful rival while having MRI scans, which monitor brain activity.

A part of their frontal lobe became more active when the students felt jealous of their rivals, the Japanese study showed.

They then read a story in which the subject of their envy suffered a series of misfortunes, including food poisoning.

Their scan data showed the mishaps sparked greater activity in the 'reward reaction' part of the brain, which normally lights up when receiving social and financial fortune. 'We now have a better understanding of the mechanism at work when people take pleasure in another's misfortune,' added Mr Takahashi.

This should be shifted over to the section where Grant Bovey, Anthea Turner, Sarah Beaney, Kirsty and Phil (and anyone who has ever made claims of understanding the market or even made some money, or EVEN welcome the signs of the green shoots or recovery) are attacked over pages and pages of posts. Far too much pleasure taken in misfortune sometimes.

[kethrinemoss]

Schadenfreude About this noise audio (USA), German pronunciation is the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. The German word is used as a term borrowed from English and other languages, and was modeled on Danish and Norwegian and Swedish as Skadeglädje.

[albertwilson]

Than was it is the same part which detects real physical pain – perhaps explaining why feeling envious of your lover's philandering ways hurts so much.