日本研究人员在最新出版的美国《科学》杂志上报告说，他们确定了人类大脑中产生嫉妒和幸灾乐祸情绪的区域，并发现这两种情绪密切相关。
日本放射医学综合研究所等机构的研究人员让接受测试的19名大学生阅读能激发他们上述两种情绪的故事，并用功能磁共振成像仪测定他们脑部血流的变化。在读故事时，接受测试的人设定自己为故事中成绩平平的主人公，故事中另外还有ABC三个人物。A与主人公同性别，人生道路和目标也几乎相同，但是成绩优秀，家境富裕，很受异性欢迎；B与主人公性别不同，虽然更加优秀，但是人生道路和目标没有重叠；C也与主人公性别不同，成绩普通，人生道路和主人公也不同。
接受测试的大学生读完故事后，研究人员让他们回答对出场人物ABC的嫉妒程度，并将嫉妒的程度分为6个级别。答案显示，这些人对ABC的嫉妒程度依次递减。功能磁共振成像仪对脑部血流变化的测定结果显示，对出场人物A，接受测试者大脑前扣带回皮层最为活跃，而对B和C，这一大脑区域活跃程度依次递减。前扣带回皮层被认为是大脑处理身体疼痛的区域。
接着，研究人员让这些大学生阅读故事的续集。在续集中，出场人物ABC遇到了各种不幸事件。实验结果表明，在学生们对ABC不幸遭遇产生的幸灾乐祸情绪程度依次递减的同时，其大脑纹状体的活跃程度也在递减。纹状体通常被认为在获得金钱回报或者社会认可时活跃。
此外研究还证实，19名接受测试者中，在产生嫉妒情绪时前扣带回皮层的活动越活跃的人，其产生幸灾乐祸情绪时纹状体的活跃程度就越高。
研究人员表示，这项研究表明嫉妒与看到他人不幸后的自我满足密切相关，该成果可应用于心理咨询等。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Science 13 February 2009:Vol. 323. no. 5916, pp. 937 - 939 DOI: 10.1126/science.1165604
When Your Gain Is My Pain and Your Pain Is My Gain: Neural Correlates of Envy and Schadenfreude
Hidehiko Takahashi,1,2,3* Motoichiro Kato,4 Masato Matsuura,2 Dean Mobbs,5 Tetsuya Suhara,1 Yoshiro Okubo6
We often evaluate the self and others from social comparisons. We feel envy when the target person has superior and self-relevant characteristics. Schadenfreude occurs when envied persons fall from grace. To elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms of envy and schadenfreude, we conducted two functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. In study one, the participants read information concerning target persons characterized by levels of possession and self-relevance of comparison domains. When the target person's possession was superior and self-relevant, stronger envy and stronger anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation were induced. In study two, stronger schadenfreude and stronger striatum activation were induced when misfortunes happened to envied persons. ACC activation in study one predicted ventral striatum activation in study two. Our findings document mechanisms of painful emotion, envy, and a rewarding reaction, schadenfreude.
1 Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 9-1, 4-chome, Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
2 Department of Life Sciences and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan.
3 Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
4 Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
5 Medical Research Council (MRC)–Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
6 Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
