An Ungrateful Disposition: Psychometric Properties of the Dispositional Envy Scale in Brazil

Abstract: Envy appears to be found among all cultures, and most individuals seem capable of experiencing it. The aim of this research was to gather evidence of the validity and reliability of the Brazilian version of the Dispositional Envy Scale. For that, we performed two studies, each with 246 university students. In the first study, the results indicated that the instrument is composed of a single component. The second study confirms this structure based on the good fit indices and presents adjustment indicators that comply or approach the recommended criteria in the literature. Both studies demonstrate that the single component instrument presents a good level of reliability, as indicated by levels of internal consistency and homogeneity that exceed those recommended for such studies. Accordingly, it was concluded that the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Dispositional Envy Scale presents acceptable psychometric characteristics and that it may, therefore, be used to assess the tendency or predisposition to feel envy. Keywords Una Disposición Ingrata: Propiedades Psicométricas de la Escala de Envidia Disposicional en Brasil Resumen: La envidia parece encontrarse en todas las culturas, y la mayoría de la gente parece capaz de sentirlo. El objetivo de este estudio fue reunir evidencias de validez y fiabilidad de la versión brasileña de la Escala de Envidia Disposicional. A este fin fueron desarrollados dos estudios, cada uno con 246 estudiantes universitarios. En el primer estudio, los resultados mostraron que el instrumento es compuesto de un componente. El segundo estudio confirmó esta estructura, como se observa en los índices de ajuste apropiados, que mostró indicadores de ajuste que cumplen o se acercan a los criterios recomendados en la literatura. Ambos estudios mostraron que el único componente presentó un buen nivel de fiabilidad, observado por los altos índices de consistencia interna y homogeneidad, además del recomendado para el desarrollo de investigaciones. Así, se concluye que la versión brasileña de la Escala de Envidia Disposicional presenta características psicométricas bastante aceptables y puede ser utilizada para evaluar las tendencias para sentir envidia. Envy, as a feeling, appears to be found among all cultures throughout the world, and most individuals seem capable of experiencing and feeling envy. Envy, which typically involves two people, refers to the feelings aroused when one person wishes to have an advantage over another or desires that which someone else has. Many studies have investigated why people feel envious of others and take into account that it is likely that there are important individual differences in the propensity to experience envy (Smith, Parrott, Diener