Over-reward produces guilt while under-reward produces anger

Evidence

Moreover, the amount of distress experienced is likely to depend on the magnitude of the benefit or harm one has experienced with greater benefit or harm resulting in greater distress (Walster et al., 1978). Research has demonstrated that if a person is over-rewarded, the distress often takes the form of guilt and if a person is under-rewarded, the distress often takes the form of anger (Austin & Walster, 1974; Scher, 1997; Sprecher, 1986). — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 430

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Guilt motivates corrective actions while shame triggers defensive reactions to inequality — Janet K. Swim and Deborah L. Miller, White Guilt: Its Antecedents and…, 137; Loss aversion makes displeasure from losing exceed pleasure from winning equally — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2445; Incidental feelings like disgust and fatigue bias moral judgments indirectly by skewing cost evaluation. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 666

Broader Connections

• Loss aversion makes displeasure from losing exceed pleasure from winning equally #complicates (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2445
• Guilt motivates corrective actions while shame triggers defensive reactions to inequality #expands (0.72) — Janet K. Swim and Deborah L. Miller, White Guilt, 137
• Incidental feelings like disgust and fatigue bias moral judgments indirectly by skewing cost evaluation. #expands (0.71) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 666