Fear of Envy Scale

Abstract

The Fear of Envy Scale (FOES) is a specialized psychometric instrument developed to quantify an individual’s apprehension regarding the negative social consequences of appearing successful, superior, or fortunate compared to others. This 10-item self-report measure assesses the dispositional tendency to fear that one’s achievements will provoke envy, resentment, or subsequent social exclusion from peers. Rooted theoretically in social comparison and evolutionary psychology, the FOES is a crucial tool in research contexts examining social ranking dynamics, self-criticism, and the development of internalizing disorders, such as depression. The scale utilizes a standard 5-point Likert scale format, ensuring suitability for anonymous administration in diverse research settings. Its initial prominent use was in the 2002 study by O’Connor, Berry, Weiss, and Gilbert, which explored the intricate relationship between self-conscious emotions (like guilt and fear) and depressive symptomatology.

Keywords

Fear of Envy, Resentment, Social Comparison, Paul Gilbert, Self-Conscious Emotions, Depression, Psychometrics, Social Rank Theory, Behavioral Inhibition

Authors

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

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Fear of Envy Scale is to provide a precise quantification of the degree to which an individual experiences anxiety specifically related to being the target of others’ malicious resentment or envy. By measuring this social threat sensitivity, the FOES is fundamental for research seeking to understand how the anticipation of social retribution can drive maladaptive psychological and behavioral patterns.

Specifically, the measure helps researchers investigate behaviors such as self-effacement, the conscious downplaying of one’s achievements, or general behavioral inhibition. In clinical and academic settings, the FOES clarifies the mechanism linking perceived social threat (the risk of being envied) to psychological distress, offering insight into why some individuals exhibiting high levels of social anxiety or depression may actively fear or avoid success.

Construct

The FOES measures the core psychological construct known as Feared Envy or Fear of Malicious Resentment. This construct is firmly grounded in the principles of Social Rank Theory, an evolutionary perspective suggesting that humans constantly monitor their social standing relative to others in their group. High scores on the FOES indicate a strong concern that one’s perceived or actual elevated status will provoke hostile feelings, criticism, or potential attack from group members who feel threatened or disadvantaged.

The scale items are designed to capture two distinct but related facets of this fear: first, the anticipation of negative social judgment (e.g., being perceived as selfish or arrogant); and second, the subsequent self-regulatory behaviors employed to mitigate this risk, such as minimizing one’s talents or avoiding confident displays. Conceptually, this construct is closely related to external shame—the painful feeling of being negatively judged or devalued by others.

Validity

Although the specific detailed psychometric validation for the 10-item FOES is typically embedded within the academic papers utilizing it, the scale consistently demonstrates strong evidence of construct validity. This is supported by its significant positive correlations with related measures, including instruments assessing self-criticism, external shame, general social anxiety, and various depressive symptoms.

These established correlational patterns align precisely with theoretical predictions suggesting that sensitivity to social threat, specifically the fear of envy, acts as a significant contributor to internalizing psychological disorders. Furthermore, its effective deployment in the seminal study by O’Connor et al. (2002) provides evidence of criterion validity, demonstrating its ability to differentiate emotional and social patterns relevant to clinical samples.

Reliability

The Fear of Envy Scale typically exhibits acceptable to strong internal consistency across multiple research applications. Psychometric analyses commonly report Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging robustly between 0.70 and 0.85. This range signifies that the ten items reliably cohere and consistently measure the singular underlying construct of feared envy.

Consistent with expectations for a stable trait measure, the FOES is generally expected to show moderate to high levels of test-retest reliability. This stability suggests that an individual’s measured level of fear of envy remains relatively constant over time, meeting established standards for a sound psychological scale used in research.

Factor Analysis

Both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) Factor Analysis studies conducted on the 10-item FOES generally support a single-factor structure. This finding confirms the unidimensionality of the scale, meaning all items load onto one unified dimension representing the overarching fear of provoking envy or resentment in others.

The clear single-factor solution is important psychometrically as it validates the use of the scale as a cohesive measure of a very specific form of social threat sensitivity, ensuring it is distinct from broader or related constructs such as generalized anxiety or guilt.

Instrument

Test Type: Psychological scale; Self-report Questionnaire

Format: 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population; Clinical samples (e.g., individuals diagnosed with depression).

Age Group: Adults (Typically 18+)

Population Details: Has been successfully utilized in diverse settings, including university student samples and various clinical populations, to assess underlying social emotional patterns.

Test Methodology: Anonymous self-administration, typically completed efficiently using either paper-and-pencil or secure online survey formats.

Keywords

Social Threat, Self-Effacement, Shame, Affective Disorders, Social Rank Theory, Cronbach’s Alpha, Construct Validity, Unidimensionality

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source. (Note: Affiliation related to P. Gilbert often involves the University of Derby, UK.)

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: The scale was developed and first published in academic literature in 2002 (O’Connor et al., 2002).

Permissions & Fee: The Fear of Envy Scale is generally treated as a research instrument available for non-commercial academic research purposes. Researchers intending to use the scale should seek explicit permission regarding its application and scoring instructions by contacting the primary author (L.E. O’Connor or Paul Gilbert). The source material does not specify any associated fee structure for academic use.

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. DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(01)00302-3.

Items of the FEAR OF ENVY SCALE

The Fear of Envy Scale (FOES) uses a 5-point rating scale where participants indicate how true each statement is for them:

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

The items are:

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