More than deserving someone harm, the great predictor of Schadenfreude is disliking of the target; compounding disliking with envy (malicious envy) was even a stronger predictor

The Roles of Disliking, Deservingness, and Envy in Predicting Schadenfreude. Keegan D. Greenier. Psychological Reports, May 5, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120921358

Abstract: Schadenfreude (pleasure about another’s misfortune) was studied using written scenarios that were manipulated to include elements that elicited disliking of the target, envy of the target, and/or deservingness of the misfortune. This was the first time all the three predictors were included in a single study, allowing for a test of their possible interactive effects. Study 1 created a large pool of scenarios based on a pilot study and had participants rate them regarding how much disliking, deservingness, or envy was felt. The eight scenarios that were most effective in eliciting the various combinations of predictors were then used in Study 2 to test for schadenfreude reactions. Results revealed strong main effects for disliking and deservingness. Interactions showed that disliking attenuated the effect of deservingness, especially for female participants. Finally, further evidence was found that malicious but not benign envy predicted schadenfreude.

Keywords: Schadenfreude, deservingness, envy, benign envy, malicious envy