Fear of Envy Scale

Abstract

The Fear of Envy Scale (FEOE) is a specialized psychological assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s anxiety or apprehension regarding being the target of others’ envy or resentment. This scale focuses on the extent to which a person avoids displaying success, confidence, or good fortune in an effort to prevent negative social consequences, such as ostracism or hostility from peers. Developed and utilized in research concerning guilt, submission, and depression, the FEOE helps researchers understand how protective self-effacement strategies relate to various emotional and mental health outcomes.

Keywords

Fear of Envy, FEOE, Social comparison, Self-effacement, Guilt, Shame, Depression, Psychological assessment, Social anxiety

Authors

O’Connor, L.E., Berry, J.W., Weiss, J., Gilbert, P.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Fear of Envy Scale is to quantify the subjective experience of fearing others’ envy. This measure assesses the degree to which individuals feel compelled to minimize or conceal their achievements, possessions, or advantages (self-effacement) out of concern that their success will elicit malicious envy or resentment from others, leading to social isolation or attack.

In the context of its initial publication by O’Connor et al. (2002), the scale was crucial for investigating how specific emotional dynamics—namely the fear of being envied—interact with feelings of guilt, submission, and empathy in clinical populations, particularly those experiencing depression. The scale helps differentiate between behaviors driven by genuine concern for others (empathy/guilt) and those driven by the fear of negative social reciprocity following success.

Construct

The Fear of Envy Scale measures a specific interpersonal construct related to social comparison and threat appraisal. It posits that individuals high in FEOE believe that advantageous personal circumstances (e.g., talent, wealth, good fortune) will be perceived negatively by others, often resulting in resentment or judgment that they are selfish or undeserving. Items target behavioral manifestations such as playing down one’s abilities or avoiding being seen as “special.”

This construct is theorized to be closely associated with subordinate or submissive behavior patterns, where individuals preemptively adopt a non-dominant stance to avoid triggering envy-driven aggression or criticism. It reflects a sensitivity to the perceived punitive nature of social comparison, suggesting a deep-seated concern for social affiliation and safety over personal advancement or self-expression.

Validity

While the provided source content does not detail specific validity coefficients, studies utilizing the FEOE, such as O’Connor et al. (2002), typically establish construct validity by demonstrating expected correlations with related measures. For instance, high scores on the FEOE are generally expected to correlate positively with measures of guilt proneness (specifically survivor guilt or achievement guilt), social anxiety, submissive behavior, and certain indices of depression severity, particularly those involving self-criticism or self-negation.

The scale’s face validity is high, as the items directly address the fear of negative social consequences resulting from perceived superiority. Discriminant validity is established by showing that FEOE measures a unique construct distinct from general neuroticism or low self-esteem, though it may overlap with measures of sociotropy or interpersonal sensitivity.

Reliability

Reliability of the Fear of Envy Scale is generally reported through internal consistency measures (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) in the primary research literature. Although specific reliability statistics are omitted in this excerpt, scales used in high-impact academic journals like the Journal of Affective Disorders typically demonstrate good to excellent internal consistency (alpha coefficients generally above .70) to ensure that the items consistently measure the underlying construct of the fear of being envied. Test-retest reliability is also examined to confirm stability over time, particularly in non-clinical populations.

Factor Analysis

The Fear of Envy Scale (Items 1–10) is typically treated as a unidimensional scale, designed to measure a single core factor: the fear of being envied. Initial factor analyses performed during the scale’s development likely supported a single factor structure, differentiating these items from related, but distinct, constructs like guilt sensitivity (as represented by items 11–21 in the original study context).

However, some research might explore potential sub-factors within the FEOE, such as the fear of resentment due to material success versus the fear of resentment due to talent or confidence. The original research context suggests the primary focus was on establishing this 10-item cluster as a coherent and distinct measure of social threat appraisal.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: The scale uses a 5-point Likert scale response format, ranging from 1 (Very untrue of me or strongly disagree) to 5 (Very true of me or strongly agree).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Clinical and Non-clinical adults; primarily used in psychological research settings.

Age Group: Adults (Typically 18+)

Population Details: The scale was initially validated and utilized in studies involving participants recruited for research on emotional processes and affective disorders, including individuals diagnosed with depression.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to rate the extent to which each statement is true of them, ensuring anonymity is maintained for honest responding regarding sensitive emotional processes.

Keywords

Affective disorders, Self-protective behavior, Social threat, Psychological assessment, Psychometric properties, Self-effacement, Likert scale, Interpersonal dynamics

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Not provided in source, but associated with the University of Derby at the time of publication)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Contact authors or the institution listed in the reference for correspondence details.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Circa 2002 (Based on the publication date of the primary reference).

Permissions & Fee: For academic and non-commercial research use, scales published in peer-reviewed journals are often available free of charge, though permission should be sought directly from the corresponding author (likely Paul Gilbert or Lynn O’Connor) or the copyright holder (the journal publisher, Elsevier). Commercial use typically requires explicit licensing.

Reference’s

O’Connor, L.E., Berry, J.W., Weiss, J. & Gilbert, P. (2002). Guilt, fear, submission, and empathy in depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 71, 19-27.

Further information may be available from the affiliated institution: www.derby.ac.uk.

Items of the FEAR OF ENVY SCALE

The response format for all items is a 5-point Likert scale:

• 1: Very untrue of me or strongly disagree
• 2: Not true of me or disagree
• 3: Sometimes true‚ sometimes not true or undecided
• 4: True of me or agree
• 5: Very true of me or strongly agree

The following 10 items constitute the Fear of Envy Scale:

1. I fear others will not like me if I show I am too confident
2. I don’t want others to think I’m a show off or too cocky
3. People who have a lot are usually seen as selfish
4. I think people would secretly resent me if they think I am better off than them
5. I play down my abilities in case this makes others envious of me
6. I don’t like to be seen as special in case others resent me for it
7. People would not like me if they thought my life had been‚ or was much easier than theirs.
8. If I show I am too confident this might show others up and be hurtful to them
9. I often wonder if I deserve good things
10. It can be hurtful to people to know they are not as talented as other people