---
_id: '13572'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: BackgroundRelative deprivation (RD), the belief of being unfairly disadvantaged
    compared to a standard, has frequently been linked to aggressive behaviors. This
    study explored how affective experiences are associated with the perception of
    unfairness (i.e., RD) and, thus, influence aggressive behavior indirectly.MethodsN
    = 184 participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of a game task,
    in which they experienced either deprivation or no deprivation as the difference
    between own rewards and the rewards of a fictitious other player. We assessed
    the subjective perception of RD and affective experiences attributed to the game
    before measuring aggressive behavior towards the other player in a point subtraction
    task.ResultsSequential mediation analysis suggested that increases in aggressive
    affect and decreases in positive affect could be linked to perceiving the game
    as more unfair for deprived participants, which in turn increased rates of aggressive
    behavior.ConclusionsAdding to the existing literature, these findings suggest
    that RD could not only lead to aggression through an affective route but that
    affective experiences potentially alter perceptions of RD and thus aggressive
    behavior indirectly.
author:
- first_name: YJ
  full_name: Kassab, YJ
  last_name: Kassab
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: E
  full_name: Walther, E
  last_name: Walther
citation:
  ama: 'Kassab Y, Halbeisen G, Walther E. The unfairness we feel: How positive and
    aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression. <i>BMC Psychology</i>.
    2025;13(1). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>'
  apa: 'Kassab, Y., Halbeisen, G., &#38; Walther, E. (2025). The unfairness we feel:
    How positive and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression.
    <i>BMC Psychology</i>, <i>13</i>(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Kassab Y, Halbeisen G and Walther E</b> (2025) The Unfairness We Feel:
    How Positive and Aggressive Affect Could Shape Relative Deprivation and Aggression.
    <i>BMC Psychology</i> <b>13</b>.'
  chicago: 'Kassab, YJ, Georg Halbeisen, and E Walther. “The Unfairness We Feel: How
    Positive and Aggressive Affect Could Shape Relative Deprivation and Aggression.”
    <i>BMC Psychology</i> 13, no. 1 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Kassab, YJ, Georg Halbeisen und E Walther. 2025. The unfairness we
    feel: How positive and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and
    aggression. <i>BMC Psychology</i> 13, Nr. 1. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Kassab, YJ</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen,
    Georg</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Walther, E</span>: The unfairness
    we feel: How positive and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and
    aggression. In: <i>BMC Psychology</i> Bd. 13, BioMed Central (2025), Nr. 1'
  havard: 'Y. Kassab, G. Halbeisen, E. Walther, The unfairness we feel: How positive
    and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression, BMC Psychology.
    13 (2025).'
  ieee: 'Y. Kassab, G. Halbeisen, and E. Walther, “The unfairness we feel: How positive
    and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression,” <i>BMC
    Psychology</i>, vol. 13, no. 1, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>.'
  mla: 'Kassab, YJ, et al. “The Unfairness We Feel: How Positive and Aggressive Affect
    Could Shape Relative Deprivation and Aggression.” <i>BMC Psychology</i>, vol.
    13, no. 1, 2025, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x">https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x</a>.'
  short: Y. Kassab, G. Halbeisen, E. Walther, BMC Psychology 13 (2025).
  ufg: '<b>Kassab, YJ/Halbeisen, Georg/Walther, E.</b>: The unfairness we feel: How
    positive and aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression,
    in: <i>BMC Psychology</i> 13 (2025), H. 1.'
  van: 'Kassab Y, Halbeisen G, Walther E. The unfairness we feel: How positive and
    aggressive affect could shape relative deprivation and aggression. BMC Psychology.
    2025;13(1).'
date_created: 2026-03-25T13:36:02Z
date_updated: 2026-04-10T10:44:21Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02732-x
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '001470244500007'
  pmid:
  - '40247391'
intvolume: '        13'
isi: '1'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
pmid: '1'
publication: BMC Psychology
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2050-7283
publication_status: published
publisher: BioMed Central
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'The unfairness we feel: How positive and aggressive affect could shape relative
  deprivation and aggression'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83778'
volume: 13
year: '2025'
...