Friendship stings: Jealousy behind a close friend's extraordinary experiences

Abstract

AbstractPeople believe that close friends will naturally share their positive feelings, such as the pleasure of extraordinary experiences. But is that true? We find that people are more likely to be jealous of close friends' extraordinary experiences than those of acquaintances (Study 1). This is because close friends (vs. acquaintances) are more likely to make comparisons, which ultimately leads to jealousy (Studies 2, 5). But this does not mean that keeping secrets from close friends is a better choice. The secrecy of our close friends' extraordinary experiences actually amplifies jealousy (Studies 3, 5), with implications for consumer purchase intentions (Study 4). These studies suggest that close friendships may sting you in some unexpected situations (i.e., extraordinary experiences).