Cognitive mechanisms of envy: The mediating role of theory of mind in the relationship between executive functions and envy

Cognitive mechanisms of envy: The mediating role of theory of mind in the relationship between executive functions and envy | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Cognitive mechanisms of envy: The mediating role of theory of mind in the relationship between executive functions and envy Tamara Andrea Cavalieri Ortiz, Daniel Franco O´Byrne, David Huepe Artigas This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Psychology → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Complex social emotions such as envy require the integration of high-level cognitive processes, particularly Executive Functions (EFs) and Theory of Mind (ToM). However, little is known about how these factors influence the expression of such social emotions, particularly envy. Methods The aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of Executive Functions (EFs) and ToM in the intensity of envy expression. To this end, 103 individuals were assessed using Ineco Frontal Screening (IFS), Reading the Mind in the Eye test (RMET) and the Social Emotion Task for envy and Schadenfreude. A simple mediation analysis was conducted in which EFs predicted envy through the mediation of ToM. Results The results showed that ToM significantly mediated the relationship between EFs and the intensity of envy, demonstrating the modulatory role of social cognition in the experience of complex social emotions. Conclusions These findings provide insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying envy and highlight the role of ToM as a link between executive functions and social emotions. In practical terms, they suggest that strengthening social cognition could promote emotional regulation and guide future research on its impact on interpersonal relationships and psychological well-being. Executive Functions Theory of Mind Schadenfreude envy Figures Figure 1 Introduction Social emotions enable us to regulate interpersonal relationships and maintain the cohesion of social systems ( 1 , 2 – 4 ). Among these, envy —displeasure at the good fortune of others— and Schadenfreude —pleasure at the misfortune of others— stand out as complex social emotions, emerging from processes of social comparison that integrate affective, cognitive, and motivational components ( 5 – 7 ). Their complexity lies in the fact that they do not depend solely on basic emotional responses, but involve the interaction between executive functions (EF) and sociocognitive processes ( 8 ). Despite advances in understanding these processes and their contributions to this type of emotion, there is still no empirical evidence to clarify the specific mechanism that modulates the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude. EFs have been canonically associated with emotional processes. A large body of literature links them to regulatory aspects, both explicit and implicit, through cognitive control ( 9 , 10 ), appraisal, and modulation of affective responses ( 11 , 12 ) suggesting the presence of a general control factor for emotional experience. In the case of envy and Schadenfreude, consistent associations have been reported between EF ( 13 , 14 ), interpreted from neural perspectives and theoretical frameworks of moral processing (15–19). In a previous study, we observed direct relationships between EF, envy and Schadenfreude, proposing sociocognitive processes such as Theory of Mind (ToM), that is, the ability to attribute mental states to others (18), as an explanatory link. However, this link, like others reported, remains largely speculative. Taken together, the current evidence suggests that the “explanatory core” between EF and complex social emotions does not lie in an isolated effect of EF, but rather in the cognitive scaffolding that EF provides for the deployment of higher-level sociocognitive processes, such as ToM. These findings, however, remain largely theoretical in the absence of direct empirical evidence confirming the proposed mechanism. Executive functions and Theory of Mind (ToM) are closely interrelated cognitive domains. EFs provide the cognitive scaffolding that allows us to maintain representations in working memory, inhibit our own perspective and adopt that of others, and apply cognitive flexibility when processing complex social information, all of which are essential skills for mentalization ( 20 – 22 ). Abundant longitudinal evidence indicates that early EFs predict the subsequent development of ToM, while early ToM does not usually predict improvements in EFs ( 23 – 26 ). On the other hand, executive deficits have been associated with lower ToM performance in vulnerable populations ( 27 ), such as people with mild cognitive impairment ( 28 ), or people with Down syndrome ( 29 ). Taken together, this evidence suggests that ToM depends on the integrity of the executive processes that underpin it, establishing a crucial link for understanding the modulation of complex social emotions. ToM can influence the experience of complex social emotions in two complementary ways. First, it allows us to infer and represent the mental and emotional states of others ( 30 ), allowing the mapping of others achievements, fortunes or misfortunes and enabling the assessment of its relevance to oneself, thus directly modulating the intensity of emotions such as envy or Schadenfreude ( 31 ). Secondly, ToM interacts with the executive processes that underpin it —such as maintaining representations in working memory, inhibiting one’s own perspective, and applying cognitive flexibility— allowing this complex social information to be operationalized, indirectly enhancing envy and Schadenfreude (18,32–34). This dual pathway justifies considering ToM as a central mechanism in the experience of complex social emotions, as it allows these emotions to emerge and be regulated both by social cognition abilities and by their interaction with executive functions. However, empirical evidence is needed to substantiate this proposal. Complex social emotions also serve social functions. Envy has demonstrated to possess instrumental value, motivating norm-congruent behavior and prudent goal pursuit ( 35 ). Furthermore, its influence extends to the formation of social norms, the modulation of economic performance, and broader cultural dynamics ( 36 ). Schadenfreude, likewise, may satisfy basic psychosocial needs—self-esteem, belonging, and purpose—and has been proposed as an indicator of in-group cohesion when directed at norm violators or high-status out-groups ( 37 , 38 ). Taken together, these considerations highlight the importance of the present study; clarifying the mechanisms of these emotions provides a strong foundation for interventions that can shape social, psychological, and personal outcomes. In his context, the present study aims to examine the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and social cognition, and how both processes predict the intensity of complex social emotions, particularly envy and Schadenfreude. Specifically, it proposes to evaluate the mediating role of Theory of Mind (ToM) as a mechanism that articulates the contribution of EFs in the experience of these emotions, considering both its direct influence on the interpretation of other’s mental states and its interaction with executive processes for the operationalization of complex social information. The hypotheses are that ( 1 ) EFs predict the intensity of complex social emotions and ( 2 ) ToM Will mediate this relationship, acting as the central mechanism that modulates the expression and regulation of these emotions. Our findings will allow for a more precise understanding of the cognitive mechanism that underlie complex social emotions, providing empirical evidence on processes that until now had been mainly theoretical. Method and Materials Participants A total of 103 participants (52% men), were recruited, aged between 30 and 50 years (SD = 2.0), with an average level of education of 15 years. The participants came from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and were representative of the general population. Exclusion criteria included visual and/or hearing impairments, as a well as psychiatric or neurological history. All participants provided written informed consent before beginning their participation, and the study was approved by the Adolfo Ibañez university ethics committee, complying with the guidelines of the declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects. Procedure Participants were evaluated in a controlled environment, where they completed the self-reported instruments included in this study. Before the experimental session, they were asked to register via an online link or by telephone, ensuring that the inclusion and exclusion criteria were met. During the evaluation, participants sat in front of a trained psychologist, who was responsible for supervising the correct application of the questionnaires and paradigms, as well as resolving any questions and ensuring compliance with the protocol. Instruments Robust, previously validated self-report instruments were used to assess the variables of interest in this project. To assess theory of Mind (ToM), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) ( 39 ) was used, a psychological test designed to measure the ability to infer mental and emotional states from eye expressions. The RMET consists of 36 photographs of the eye region of different individuals, and participants must select, from four options, the emotion or mental state that best describes what the person in the image might be feeling or thinking ( 40 ). This instrument is widely used for the individual measurement of ToM ( 41 ). Due to the dichotomous nature of the responses, reliability analysis is typically performed using a test-retest approach ( 42 ), which showed a good index in the present sample, with a Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient of 0.8. The executive function (EF) variable was assessed using the Ineco Frontal Screening (IFS), a screening tool designed to comprehensively measure executive functioning, including response inhibition, abstraction ability, and working memory, providing an overall executive profile of the ( 43 , 44 ). The IFS has previously been administered in both clinical and non-clinical populations ( 45 , 46 ). In the present sample, the instrument showed an adequate reliability index, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0,70. To assess the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude, a social emotions task widely used in Latin American populations was employed, both in clinical samples (15,19) and in healthy individuals (18,47,48). The task consists of two blocks, one on envy and the other on Schadenfreude; each block includes 15 situations. Participants were asked to rate, on a Likert scale from 1 to 9, the degree of displeasure (in the case of envy) or pleasure (in the case of Schadenfreude) they experienced in each situation. In the present sample, the task showed high reliability indices, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.931 for envy and 0,947 for Schadenfreude (see instruments section in supplementary Material). The measures of envy and Schadenfreude intensity were calculated by subtracting the score for neutral situations in each trial from the scores for each emotion within its respective block. This procedure allows the specific reaction to the social emotion of interest to be isolated, controlling for possible scale biases, and provides an indicator of the net intensity of the emotion experiences by each participant. Data Analysis The relationships between variables were evaluated using Pearson’s bivariate correlations. Subsequently, to examine whether the relationship between executive functions (EF) and the intensity of envy was mediated by theory of mind (ToM), a mediation analysis was performed using a linear regression approach ( 49 , 50 ). This technique allows the role of a variable as an explanatory factor in the relationship between two other variables to evaluated, as well as quantifying the proportion of the effect that is explained by the mediating variable. The mediation analyses were performed using the mediation analysis function of the Pingouin library in Python ( 51 ), using 10,000 bootstrap iterations to estimate the confidence intervals of the indirect effect. Direct, indirect and total coefficients were reported, along with their standard errors, p-values, and 95% confidence limits. The rest of the data management and correlation analyses were performed using the pandas ( 52 ), numpy ( 53 ), and scipy.stats ( 54 ) libraries running in Python. Results The descriptive statistics for our variables of interest can be seen in Table 1 below. Table 1. Descriptive statistics Abbreviations. IFS: INECO Frontal Screening; RMET: Reading the Mind in the Eyes. Correlations A summary of Pearson’s bivariate correlations is presented in Table 2. The results show that envy was positively related to ToM (r = 0.262, p < .01), Schadenfreude (r = 0.269 , p < .01), and executive functions (EFs) (r = 0.221, p < .05). Schadenfreude showed a significant positive correlation with EFs (r = 0.217, p < .05), but not with ToM (r = -0.283, p = 0.777). In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between EFs and ToM (r = 0.391, p < .001), indicating that higher executive functioning is associated with better theory of mind skills. It should be noted that these patterns of association remain significant after controlling for participant age (see supplementary Table 1). Table 2. Correlation Matrix Note. r = Pearson correlation; * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001. Mediation Analysis Mediation analysis indicated that the indirect effect of executive functions (IFS) on envy intensity, mediated by theory of mind (ToM), was statistically significant, β = 0.08, SE = 0.042, p = .043, IC 95% [0.006, 0.172]. The direct effect of EFs on envy (controlling for ToM), did not reach statistical significance, β = 0.14, SE = 0.104, p = .179, IC 95% [−0.066, 0.347], indicating total mediation by ToM (see Figure 1). The total effect of executive functions on envy was significant, β = .22, SE = .10, p = .024, IC 95% [0.03, 0.41] (see Supplementary Table 2). Regarding specific paths, executive functions were positively related to ToM (mediator), β = .39, SE = .09, p < .001, IC 95% [0.21, 0.57], and ToM was positively associated with envy intensity, β = .26, SE = .10, p = .009, IC 95% [0.07, 0.45] (see Figure 1, Supplementary Table 2). The mediated proportion was 36.6%, indicating that more than one third of the total effect of executive functions on envy is explained by ToM. The model explained 14.5% of the variance in ToM (R² = .145) and 8% of the variance in envy (R² = .076), which corresponds to medium and small effect sizes, respectively, but is relevant in the context of psychological variables (see Supplementary Table 2). Discussion This study evaluated the relationship between ToM, EFs and the intensity of complex social emotions such as envy and Schadenfreude. The results show that EFs correlate significantly with both ToM and the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude. ToM showed significant associations with the intensity of envy, but not with Schadenfreude. A mediation analysis showed that ToM completely mediates the relationship between EFs and the intensity of envy. These findings not only provide evidence of the mechanism by which the intensity of envy modulated, but also underscore the complexity of this emotion as a multifactorial psychological phenomenon, integrating components of social cognition and executive functions. This constitutes the first empirical evidence of mediation between these variables. The results of this study confirm that executive functions (EFs) are positively and significantly related to the intensity of envy. This finding is consistent with previous evidence linking inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation to emotional experiences of a social nature (5,19). In the case of envy, deficits in EFs can hinder the regulation of negative emotional responses to social comparisons, flattening the intensity of this emotion (18). Thus, more robust executive functioning could modulate the way envy is processed, favoring more adaptive regulation. However, as mentioned in the introduction, these executive processes do not act in isolation; rather, they interact with complex sociocognitive processes to modulate the intensity of envy (19). The experience of envy also depends on second-order social cognition processes, such as the ability to mentalize (55). ToM has been described as a key requirement for understanding social emotions, as it allows us to represent and infer the mental states of others (56,57). Understanding and anticipating the thoughts and desires of others is a process that enables social comparison, a central aspect of envy, which can enhance the intensity of this emotion (18,58,59). However, evidence suggests that ToM necessarily relies on more basic cognitive resources provided by EF, the latter being a key prerequisite that underpins ToM. For example, abundant longitudinal evidence has shown that early EFs predict the subsequent development of ToM, while initial ToM does not usually predict improvements in EFs, and both processes continue to develop together during childhood and adolescence (23–26). In addition, executive deficits have been associated with lower ToM performance in vulnerable populations (27), in people with mild cognitive impairment (28) and in clinical populations (29). Consistent with these findings, our results show that the relationship between EFs and the experience of envy is explained through ToM, constituting a key mediator in the development of adaptive skills. EFs, by providing the necessary cognitive scaffolding, support the ability to attribute mental states to others, as reflected in performance on task of recognizing other’s emotions and thoughts (RMET). This capacity for mentalization, in turn, modulates the experience of complex social emotions, allowing envy to be processed and experienced base on how the intentions and emotions of others are interpreted. In other words, our observations suggest that EFs do not directly influence envy, but rather do so indirectly by enhancing ToM, which acts as the central mechanism that directs the effect toward social emotion. This pattern provides initial empirical evidence that the relationship between EFs and envy is explained by mentalization ability, highlighting the importance of considering social cognition processes as fundamental mediators in understanding the dynamics of complex social emotions. Theory of Mind (ToM) underpins the experience of envy in two complementary ways. First, as a socio-cognitive skill, it allows us to infer and represent the mental and emotional states of others, enabling us to evaluate the achievements or advantages of others as relevant or desirable for ourselves (57,60), which increases the intensity of the emotion. Second, ToM interacts with executive processes, such as maintaining representations in working memory, inhibiting one’s own perspective to adopt that of another, and applying cognitive flexibility when processing social comparisons (33,61), thus integrating complex information in an adaptive manner. This dual function explains why effects of ToM on envy can be observed both directly and indirectly, reflecting that the intensity of this emotion depends not only on social cognition per se, but also on its integration with executive functions. Our findings support this interpretation, as ToM fully mediates the relationship between executive functions and the intensity of envy, indicating that the experience of envy reflects the interaction between mentalization ability and executive control, and underscores the complexity of this emotion as a multifactorial psychological phenomenon. When interpreting these results, it is important to consider certain methodological limitations. The cross-sectional design restricts the possibility of stablishing definitive causal relationships or evaluating the temporal stability of associations, although previous findings suggest some consistency in these relationships (18,19,62). Furthermore, although the sample size (N = 103) is comparable to previous studies on mediation (63), it would be advisable to replicate these findings in larger and more diverse samples, including clinical contexts and different sociocultural and economic settings, in order to explore the generalizability of the results. Conclusion This study provides evidence that Theory of Mind (ToM) mediates the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and the insentity of envy. The findings suggest that envy is a multifactorial phenomenon, integrating social cognition and executive control, and constitute the first empirical evidence of this mediation. These results highlight the importance of considering ToM and EFs together in understanding complex social emotions and open new lines of research to further explore the mechanisms underlying the experience of envy. Abbreviations EFs Executive Functions ToM Theory of Mind IFS INECO Frontal Screening RMET Reading the Mind in the Eyes. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Adolfo Ibáñez University. All participants provided informed consent prior to participation. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects. Consent for publication Not applicable. All data analyzed in this study were fully anonymized prior to analysis and reporting. Data Availability The data sets used are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests that could have influenced the work reported in this manuscript. Funding This work was supported by grants from Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (ANID/FONDECYT Regular N°1231117 to David Huepe). The funder had no role in deciding to publish or prepare the manuscript. Author contributions T.A.C.O. and D.F.O. conceived the study aims and designed the research. T.A.C.O. and D.F.O. drafted the initial manuscript. D.F.O. conducted the data analysis and contributed to interpretation of the findings. D.H. edited the final version of the manuscript and provided funding. All authors read, revised, and approved the final version of the manuscript, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Equal contribution: T.A.C.O. and D.F.O. contributed equally to this work. Corresponding author: D.H.A. Acknowledgements The authors thank all study participants for their time and commitment. References Atak H, Jencius M, Albay A, Karatekin S, Tuzcuoğlu FK, Schadenfreude. Concept Rev Psikiyatr Güncel Yaklaşımlar 2025 Sept 30;17(3):598–622. Lin H, Liang J, The Effect of Malicious Envy on Schadenfreude When Schadenfreude Is Elicited Through Social Comparisons. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2021 Dec 13 [cited 2025 Sept 22];12. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/ 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769826/full Lamm C, Singer T. The role of anterior insular cortex in social emotions. Brain Struct Funct 2010 June 1;214(5):579–91. Bisquerra R, Canales A, Flich E. Emodiversidad: emociones sociales, morales, autoconscientes y de auto-trascendencia. Editorial Cuadernos de Pedagogía; 2024. Jankowski KF, Takahashi H. Cognitive neuroscience of social emotions and implications for psychopathology: examining embarrassment, guilt, envy, and schadenfreude. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2014;68(5):319–36. Khatatbeh Y, Yassin OSB, Freihat AM. Effect of social comparison on envy: A predictive study considering psychological and demographic variables among social media users. Humanities. 2025;6(3). van de Ven N, Zeelenberg M, Pieters R. Leveling up and down: The experiences of benign and malicious envy. Emotion. 2009;9(3):419–29. Badarneh M, Arbel R, Ziv Y. Executive functions and social cognition from early childhood to pre-adolescence: A systematic review. Dev Rev. 2024;74:101167. Horner SB, Lulla R, Wu H, Shaktivel S, Vaccaro A, Herschel E, et al. Brain activity associated with emotion regulation predicts individual differences in working memory ability. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2025;25(2):329–43. Bekerom L, Donker MH, Mainhard T, Evers C. Everything under control? Daily dynamics of self-control and emotion regulation. Motiv Emot. 2025;49(1):15–30. Meyers S, Hu D, Tamir M. Cognitive Reappraisal is More Effective for Regulating Emotions than Moods. Affect Sci; 2025. 1–12 p. Toh WX, Keh JS, Gross JJ, Carstensen LL. The role of executive function in cognitive reappraisal: A meta-analytic review. Emot Wash DC. 2024;24(7):1563–81. Hill SE, DelPriore DJ, Vaughan PW. The cognitive consequences of envy: Attention, memory, and self-regulatory depletion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):653–66. Xiang Y, Zhao S, Wang H, Wu Q, Kong F, Mo L. Examining brain structures associated with dispositional envy and the mediation role of emotional intelligence. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):39947. Barrasso-Catanzaro C, Eslinger PJ. Neurobiological bases of executive function and social‐emotional development: Typical and atypical brain changes. Fam Relat. 2016;65(1):108–19. Becerra León JC. Socio-cognitive predictors of envy and schadenfreude. 2020. Kloo D, Kaltefleiter LJ, Sodian B. Early perspective taking predicts later cognitive flexibility: A longitudinal study. Infant Child Dev. 2024;33(6). Lertladaluck K, Moriguchi Y. Executive functions and theory of mind development in preschoolers: Insights from NIRS data. Neuropsychologia. 2024;205:109031. Poznyak E, Rochat L, Badoud D, Meuleman B, Debbané M. Unpacking mentalizing: The roles of age and executive functioning in self-other appraisal and perspective taking. Q J Exp Psychol 2006. 2025;78(8):1707–20. Carlson SM, Mandell DJ, Williams L. Executive function and theory of mind: stability and prediction from ages 2 to 3. Dev Psychol. 2004;40:1105. Hughes C, Ensor R. Executive function and theory of mind: Predictive relations from ages 2 to 4. Dev Psychol. 2007;43(6):1447–59. Marcovitch S, O’Brien M, Calkins SD, Leerkes EM, Weaver JM, Levine DW. A Longitudinal Assessment of the Relation between Executive Function and Theory of Mind at 3, 4, and 5 Years. Cogn Dev. 2015;33:40–55. Müller U, Liebermann-Finestone DP, Carpendale JIM, Hammond SI, Bibok MB. Knowing minds, controlling actions: the developmental relations between theory of mind and executive function from 2 to 4 years of age. J Exp Child Psychol. 2012;111(2):331–48. Schulte M, Trujillo N, Rodríguez-Villagra OA, Salas N, Ibañez A, Carriedo N, et al. The role of executive functions, social cognition and intelligence in predicting social adaptation of vulnerable populations. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):18693. Moreau N, Rauzy S, Bonnefoi B, Renié L, Martinez-Almoyna L, Viallet F, et al. Different Patterns of Theory of Mind Impairment in Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis JAD. 2015;45(2):581–97. Amadó A, Serrat E, Vallès-Majoral E. The Role of Executive Functions in Social Cognition among Children with Down Syndrome: Relationship Patterns. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2016 Sept 13 [cited 2025 Sept 22];7. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/ 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01363/full Abu-Akel A, Shamay-Tsoory S. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical bases of theory of mind. Neuropsychologia 2011 Sept 1;49(11):2971–84. Boecker L, Loschelder DD, Topolinski S. How individuals react emotionally to others’ (mis)fortunes: A social comparison framework. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2022 July;123(1):55–83. Clemente L, Gasparre D, Alfeo F, Battista F, Abbatantuono C, Curci A et al. Theory of Mind and Executive Functions in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Healthy Aging. Brain Sci 2023 Sept 22;13(10):1356. Oeo Morín I, Keulers EHH. Executive functions and theory of mind associations in middle childhood: Does social interaction act as a mediator? J Exp Child Psychol. 2024;248:106059. Trujillo-Llano C, Sainz-Ballesteros A, Suarez-Ardila F, Gonzalez-Gadea ML, Ibáñez A, Herrera E, et al. Neuroanatomical markers of social cognition in neglected adolescents. Neurobiol Stress. 2024 July;31:100642. Lange J, Protasi S. An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Value of Envy. Rev Philos Psychol. 2024 June 1;15(2):403–22. Gershman B. Envy in the process of development: Implications for Social Relations and Conflict. Econ Peace Secur J [Internet]. 2013 Oct 1 [cited 2025 Sept 26];8(2). Available from: https://www.epsjournal.org.uk/index.php/EPSJ/article/view/148 Brambilla M, Riva P. Self-image and schadenfreude: Pleasure at others’ misfortune enhances satisfaction of basic human needs. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2017;47(4):399–411. Sun B, Huang T, Wu Y, Fan L. Your Pain Pleases Others: The Influence of Social Interaction Patterns and Group Identity on Schadenfreude. Behav Sci. 2024;14(2):79. Baron-Cohen S. Theory of mind and autism: A review. Int Rev Res Ment Retard. 2000;23:169–84. Huerta-Ramos E, Ferrer-Quintero M, Gómez-Benito J, González-Higueras F, Cuadras D, del Rey-Mejías ÁL, et al. Translation and validation of Baron Cohen’s face test in a general population from Spain. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2021;49(3):106–13. Olderbak S, Wilhelm O, Olaru G, Geiger M, Brenneman MW, Roberts RD. A psychometric analysis of the reading the mind in the eyes test: toward a brief form for research and applied settings. Front Psychol. 2015;6:1503. Fernández-Abascal EG, Cabello R, Fernández-Berrocal P, Baron-Cohen S. Test-retest reliability of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test: a one-year follow-up study. Mol Autism 2013 Sept 11;4(1):33. Ihnen J, Antivilo A, Muñoz-Neira C, Slachevsky A. Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch): Psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy. Dement Neuropsychol. 2013;7(1):40–7. Torralva T, Roca M, Gleichgerrcht E, López P, Manes F. INECO Frontal Screening (IFS): A brief, sensitive, and specific tool to assess executive functions in dementia–CORRECTED VERSION. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2009 Sept;15(5):777–86. Báez Buitrago SJ, Couto JBM, Torralva T, Sposato L, Huepe D, Montañes P et al. Comparing Moral Judgments of Patients With Frontotemporal Dementia and Frontal Stroke. 2014 June [cited 2025 Sept 22]; Available from: https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/11336/29436 Baez S, Herrera E, García AM, Manes F, Young L, Ibáñez A. Outcome-oriented moral evaluation in terrorists. Nat Hum Behav [Internet]. 2017 May 26 [cited 2025 Sept 22];1(6). Available from: https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85021131685 Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986;51(6):1173. Gunzler D, Chen T, Wu P, Zhang H. Introduction to mediation analysis with structural equation modeling. Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2013;25(6):390–4. Python Software Foundation. (2025). Python (Versión 3.13.5) [Software]. Recuperado de https://www.python.org/ McKinney W. Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython. O’Reilly Media, Inc.; 2012. p. 471. (PDF) Array programming with NumPy. ResearchGate [Internet]. [cited 2025 Sept 24]; Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344301569_Array_programming_with_NumPy SciPy 1. 0: fundamental algorithms for scientific computing in Python | Nature Methods [Internet]. [cited 2025 Sept 24]. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-019-0686-2 Chester DS, Powell CAJ, Smith RH, Joseph JE, Kedia G, Combs DJY, et al. Justice for the average Joe: The role of envy and the mentalizing network in the deservingness of others’ misfortunes. Soc Neurosci. 2013;8(6):640–9. Preckel K, Kanske P, Singer T. On the interaction of social affect and cognition: empathy, compassion and theory of mind. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2018;19:1–6. Shamay-Tsoory SG, Tibi-Elhanany Y, Aharon-Peretz J. The green-eyed monster and malicious joy: the neuroanatomical bases of envy and gloating. (Schadenfreude Brain. 2007;130(6):1663–78. Li Y, Wang S. Comparisons are Odious? - Exploring the Dual Effect of Upward Social Comparison on Workplace Coping Behaviors of Temporary Agency Workers. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023;16:4251–65. Luo Y, Eickhoff SB, Hétu S, Feng C. Social comparison in the brain: A coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional brain imaging studies on the downward and upward comparisons. Hum Brain Mapp. 2018;39(1):440–58. Dvash J, Gilam G, Ben-Ze’ev A, Hendler T, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The envious brain: the neural basis of social comparison. Hum Brain Mapp. 2010;31(11):1741–50. Wade M, Prime H, Jenkins JM, Yeates KO, Williams T, Lee K. On the relation between theory of mind and executive functioning: A developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective. Psychon Bull Rev. 2018;25(6):2119–40. Carlson SM, Claxton LJ, Moses LJ. The Relation Between Executive Function and Theory of Mind is More Than Skin Deep. J Cogn Dev. 2015;16(1):186–97. Beltrán-Garrayo L, Larsen JK, Eisinga R, Vink JM, Blanco M, Graell M, et al. Childhood obesity and adolescent follow-up depressive symptoms: exploring a moderated mediation model of body esteem and gender. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024;33(8):2859–69. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplementarymaterial.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 13 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Psychology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 08 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 15 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 13 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 16 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 14 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7745706","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":550012833,"identity":"83bacc33-2130-4117-b00a-6f106078e71d","order_by":0,"name":"Tamara Andrea Cavalieri Ortiz","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tamara","middleName":"Andrea Cavalieri","lastName":"Ortiz","suffix":""},{"id":550012834,"identity":"b80dd5ae-26d8-493d-8d19-c1a1f51267a8","order_by":1,"name":"Daniel Franco O´Byrne","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Adolfo Ibáñez University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Daniel","middleName":"Franco","lastName":"O´Byrne","suffix":""},{"id":550012835,"identity":"e983bfaf-af6a-4132-8ae7-59e302545bac","order_by":2,"name":"David Huepe Artigas","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA2UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCA0DEAyIZGBgfMDBIMDCwk6CF2QCshZkILQxQLWwSYBFCWviOnzE88IbhTmK/dPOxap4aCwb+ZgJaJM/kGBycw/AsceacY2m3eY5JMEgcJqDF4EBawmEehsOJG27kmN3mAbrNgJDDDM4/g2jZfyP/WzHPP2K03Eg+ALFFIoeNmbeNCC2SNx4fODjH4LDxjDvHjCXn9knwEPQL3/nE5g9vKg7L9s9ufvjhzbc6Of72BgJ6IM5jAEciCPAQox4KJEhQOwpGwSgYBSMLAAACwkWvNiDymgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Adolfo Ibáñez University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"David","middleName":"Huepe","lastName":"Artigas","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-30 00:08:19","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04315-w","type":"published","date":"2026-03-13T15:59:53+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96810943,"identity":"4f273eb5-fd7c-400f-801e-3f5b6789b469","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4889369,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"RevisedMsOct13.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/a5ed90a1eab9981dc0ca1b7a.docx"},{"id":96810939,"identity":"a6a39c34-31e6-4b33-bab7-d6d36d14fa9a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5565,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f11b65c04f204b4d8646391fd5b629d2.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/f60783482e68319cbfb4bf57.json"},{"id":96917966,"identity":"dc0c0843-b5a7-425f-8f0b-1cd599d9512a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 14:10:52","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":26807,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementarymaterial.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/96fc76b7a286e0bc93b9474d.docx"},{"id":96917926,"identity":"bd61d8b1-ce56-4c29-a2ac-78b750484b52","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 14:10:45","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":110656,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f11b65c04f204b4d8646391fd5b629d21enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/cc1a71c94cf4919407bb70fc.xml"},{"id":96810935,"identity":"4dac1c55-1d21-4ef7-84a4-d8d1a3cea00b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":33249,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/cbafcf9aa53da1bfac6461c6.png"},{"id":96810936,"identity":"2eb592aa-0f89-41dd-9c08-e6645465d073","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":11588,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/36ec4effed204048510ea392.png"},{"id":96916340,"identity":"e26ef747-d413-467b-9190-64e1a861d5ad","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-27 14:08:29","extension":"xml","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":106692,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"f11b65c04f204b4d8646391fd5b629d21structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/2e2ee3549d09aae1602acf49.xml"},{"id":96810941,"identity":"7518a872-24b0-451d-b2f0-eeafe62549a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"html","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":119107,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/4a62590bd09c573a6be53292.html"},{"id":96810934,"identity":"0fa43fbf-9e93-462e-81fc-be1807cda202","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":17889,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMediation Model\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/fe8c3a253b6a543e31ecd6e3.png"},{"id":104739581,"identity":"ae3d8080-0c8d-440f-81d8-c9289069b731","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-16 16:09:44","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":536478,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/39112d3f-282c-4cef-9a3f-d79c4b8078aa.pdf"},{"id":96810940,"identity":"176dd12c-bb02-43df-9cee-74aacfbb7568","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-26 10:07:38","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":26807,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementarymaterial.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7745706/v1/d6a267954c4e55b486427400.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Cognitive mechanisms of envy: The mediating role of theory of mind in the relationship between executive functions and envy","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eSocial emotions enable us to regulate interpersonal relationships and maintain the cohesion of social systems (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Among these, envy \u0026mdash;displeasure at the good fortune of others\u0026mdash; and Schadenfreude \u0026mdash;pleasure at the misfortune of others\u0026mdash; stand out as complex social emotions, emerging from processes of social comparison that integrate affective, cognitive, and motivational components (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). Their complexity lies in the fact that they do not depend solely on basic emotional responses, but involve the interaction between executive functions (EF) and sociocognitive processes (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e). Despite advances in understanding these processes and their contributions to this type of emotion, there is still no empirical evidence to clarify the specific mechanism that modulates the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEFs have been canonically associated with emotional processes. A large body of literature links them to regulatory aspects, both explicit and implicit, through cognitive control (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e), appraisal, and modulation of affective responses (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e) suggesting the presence of a general control factor for emotional experience. In the case of envy and Schadenfreude, consistent associations have been reported between EF (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e), interpreted from neural perspectives and theoretical frameworks of moral processing (15\u0026ndash;19). In a previous study, we observed direct relationships between EF, envy and Schadenfreude, proposing sociocognitive processes such as Theory of Mind (ToM), that is, the ability to attribute mental states to others (18), as an explanatory link. However, this link, like others reported, remains largely speculative. Taken together, the current evidence suggests that the \u0026ldquo;explanatory core\u0026rdquo; between EF and complex social emotions does not lie in an isolated effect of EF, but rather in the cognitive scaffolding that EF provides for the deployment of higher-level sociocognitive processes, such as ToM. These findings, however, remain largely theoretical in the absence of direct empirical evidence confirming the proposed mechanism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExecutive functions and Theory of Mind (ToM) are closely interrelated cognitive domains. EFs provide the cognitive scaffolding that allows us to maintain representations in working memory, inhibit our own perspective and adopt that of others, and apply cognitive flexibility when processing complex social information, all of which are essential skills for mentalization (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR21\" citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e). Abundant longitudinal evidence indicates that early EFs predict the subsequent development of ToM, while early ToM does not usually predict improvements in EFs (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24 CR25\" citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, executive deficits have been associated with lower ToM performance in vulnerable populations (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e), such as people with mild cognitive impairment (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e), or people with Down syndrome (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e). Taken together, this evidence suggests that ToM depends on the integrity of the executive processes that underpin it, establishing a crucial link for understanding the modulation of complex social emotions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToM can influence the experience of complex social emotions in two complementary ways. First, it allows us to infer and represent the mental and emotional states of others (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e), allowing the mapping of others achievements, fortunes or misfortunes and enabling the assessment of its relevance to oneself, thus directly modulating the intensity of emotions such as envy or Schadenfreude (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e). Secondly, ToM interacts with the executive processes that underpin it \u0026mdash;such as maintaining representations in working memory, inhibiting one\u0026rsquo;s own perspective, and applying cognitive flexibility\u0026mdash; allowing this complex social information to be operationalized, indirectly enhancing envy and Schadenfreude (18,32\u0026ndash;34). This dual pathway justifies considering ToM as a central mechanism in the experience of complex social emotions, as it allows these emotions to emerge and be regulated both by social cognition abilities and by their interaction with executive functions. However, empirical evidence is needed to substantiate this proposal.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplex social emotions also serve social functions. Envy has demonstrated to possess instrumental value, motivating norm-congruent behavior and prudent goal pursuit (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, its influence extends to the formation of social norms, the modulation of economic performance, and broader cultural dynamics (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e). Schadenfreude, likewise, may satisfy basic psychosocial needs\u0026mdash;self-esteem, belonging, and purpose\u0026mdash;and has been proposed as an indicator of in-group cohesion when directed at norm violators or high-status out-groups (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e). Taken together, these considerations highlight the importance of the present study; clarifying the mechanisms of these emotions provides a strong foundation for interventions that can shape social, psychological, and personal outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn his context, the present study aims to examine the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and social cognition, and how both processes predict the intensity of complex social emotions, particularly envy and Schadenfreude. Specifically, it proposes to evaluate the mediating role of Theory of Mind (ToM) as a mechanism that articulates the contribution of EFs in the experience of these emotions, considering both its direct influence on the interpretation of other\u0026rsquo;s mental states and its interaction with executive processes for the operationalization of complex social information. The hypotheses are that (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e) EFs predict the intensity of complex social emotions and (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) ToM Will mediate this relationship, acting as the central mechanism that modulates the expression and regulation of these emotions. Our findings will allow for a more precise understanding of the cognitive mechanism that underlie complex social emotions, providing empirical evidence on processes that until now had been mainly theoretical.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Method and Materials","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eParticipants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA total of 103 participants (52% men), were recruited, aged between 30 and 50 years (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.0), with an average level of education of 15 years. The participants came from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and were representative of the general population. Exclusion criteria included visual and/or hearing impairments, as a well as psychiatric or neurological history.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e All participants provided written informed consent before beginning their participation, and the study was approved by the Adolfo Iba\u0026ntilde;ez university ethics committee, complying with the guidelines of the declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProcedure\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants were evaluated in a controlled environment, where they completed the self-reported instruments included in this study. Before the experimental session, they were asked to register via an online link or by telephone, ensuring that the inclusion and exclusion criteria were met. During the evaluation, participants sat in front of a trained psychologist, who was responsible for supervising the correct application of the questionnaires and paradigms, as well as resolving any questions and ensuring compliance with the protocol.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInstruments\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobust, previously validated self-report instruments were used to assess the variables of interest in this project.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo assess theory of Mind (ToM), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e) was used, a psychological test designed to measure the ability to infer mental and emotional states from eye expressions. The RMET consists of 36 photographs of the eye region of different individuals, and participants must select, from four options, the emotion or mental state that best describes what the person in the image might be feeling or thinking (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e). This instrument is widely used for the individual measurement of ToM (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e). Due to the dichotomous nature of the responses, reliability analysis is typically performed using a test-retest approach (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e), which showed a good index in the present sample, with a Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient of 0.8.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe executive function (EF) variable was assessed using the Ineco Frontal Screening (IFS), a screening tool designed to comprehensively measure executive functioning, including response inhibition, abstraction ability, and working memory, providing an overall executive profile of the (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e). The IFS has previously been administered in both clinical and non-clinical populations (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e). In the present sample, the instrument showed an adequate reliability index, with a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha of 0,70.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo assess the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude, a social emotions task widely used in Latin American populations was employed, both in clinical samples (15,19) and in healthy individuals (18,47,48). The task consists of two blocks, one on envy and the other on Schadenfreude; each block includes 15 situations. Participants were asked to rate, on a Likert scale from 1 to 9, the degree of displeasure (in the case of envy) or pleasure (in the case of Schadenfreude) they experienced in each situation. In the present sample, the task showed high reliability indices, with a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha of 0.931 for envy and 0,947 for Schadenfreude (see instruments section in supplementary Material).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe measures of envy and Schadenfreude intensity were calculated by subtracting the score for neutral situations in each trial from the scores for each emotion within its respective block. This procedure allows the specific reaction to the social emotion of interest to be isolated, controlling for possible scale biases, and provides an indicator of the net intensity of the emotion experiences by each participant.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe relationships between variables were evaluated using Pearson\u0026rsquo;s bivariate correlations. Subsequently, to examine whether the relationship between executive functions (EF) and the intensity of envy was mediated by theory of mind (ToM), a mediation analysis was performed using a linear regression approach (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e). This technique allows the role of a variable as an explanatory factor in the relationship between two other variables to evaluated, as well as quantifying the proportion of the effect that is explained by the mediating variable. The mediation analyses were performed using the mediation analysis function of the Pingouin library in Python (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e), using 10,000 bootstrap iterations to estimate the confidence intervals of the indirect effect. Direct, indirect and total coefficients were reported, along with their standard errors, p-values, and 95% confidence limits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe rest of the data management and correlation analyses were performed using the pandas (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e), numpy (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e), and scipy.stats (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e) libraries running in Python.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe descriptive statistics for our variables of interest can be seen in Table 1 below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eDescriptive statistics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbbreviations. IFS: INECO Frontal Screening; RMET: Reading the Mind in the Eyes.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA summary of Pearson\u0026rsquo;s bivariate correlations is presented in Table 2. The results show that envy was positively related to ToM (r = 0.262, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .01), Schadenfreude (r = 0.269\u003cem\u003e, p\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .01), and executive functions (EFs) (r = 0.221, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .05). Schadenfreude showed a significant positive correlation with EFs (r = 0.217, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .05), but not with ToM (r = -0.283, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = 0.777).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between EFs and ToM (r = 0.391, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001), indicating that higher executive functioning is associated with better theory of mind skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt should be noted that these patterns of association remain significant after controlling for participant age (see supplementary Table 1).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 2.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eCorrelation Matrix\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cimg src=\"data:image/png;base64,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\"\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote. r = Pearson correlation; * p \u0026lt; .05, ** p \u0026lt; .01, *** p \u0026lt; .001.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMediation Analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMediation analysis indicated that the indirect effect of executive functions (IFS) on envy intensity, mediated by theory of mind (ToM), was statistically significant, \u0026beta; = 0.08, SE = 0.042,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;p\u003c/em\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;= .043, IC 95% [0.006, 0.172]. The direct effect of EFs on envy (controlling for ToM), did not reach statistical significance,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026beta;\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;= 0.14, SE = 0.104, p = .179, IC 95% [\u0026minus;0.066, 0.347], indicating total mediation by ToM (see Figure 1). The total effect of executive functions on envy was significant,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026beta;\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;= .22, SE = .10,\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .024, IC 95% [0.03, 0.41] (see Supplementary Table 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding specific paths, executive functions were positively related to ToM (mediator), \u0026beta; = .39, SE = .09, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; .001, IC 95% [0.21, 0.57], and ToM was positively associated with envy intensity, \u0026beta; = .26, SE = .10, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e = .009, IC 95% [0.07, 0.45] (see Figure 1, Supplementary Table 2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mediated proportion was 36.6%, indicating that more than one third of the total effect of executive functions on envy is explained by ToM. The model explained 14.5% of the variance in ToM (R\u0026sup2; = .145) and 8% of the variance in envy (R\u0026sup2; = .076), which corresponds to medium and small effect sizes, respectively, but is relevant in the context of psychological variables (see Supplementary Table 2).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study evaluated the relationship between ToM, EFs and the intensity of complex social emotions such as envy and Schadenfreude. The results show that EFs correlate significantly with both ToM and the intensity of envy and Schadenfreude. ToM showed significant associations with the intensity of envy, but not with Schadenfreude. A mediation analysis showed that ToM completely mediates the relationship between EFs and the intensity of envy. These findings not only provide evidence of the mechanism by which the intensity of envy modulated, but also underscore the complexity of this emotion as a multifactorial psychological phenomenon, integrating components of social cognition and executive functions. This constitutes the first empirical evidence of mediation between these variables.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results of this study confirm that executive functions (EFs) are positively and significantly related to the intensity of envy. This finding is consistent with previous evidence linking inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation to emotional experiences of a social nature (5,19). In the case of envy, deficits in EFs can hinder the regulation of negative emotional responses to social comparisons, flattening the intensity of this emotion (18). Thus, more robust executive functioning could modulate the way envy is processed, favoring more adaptive regulation. However, as mentioned in the introduction, these executive processes do not act in isolation; rather, they interact with complex sociocognitive processes to modulate the intensity of envy (19).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experience of envy also depends on second-order social cognition processes, such as the ability to mentalize (55). ToM has been described as a key requirement for understanding social emotions, as it allows us to represent and infer the mental states of others (56,57). Understanding and anticipating the thoughts and desires of others is a process that enables social comparison, a central aspect of envy, which can enhance the intensity of this emotion (18,58,59). However, evidence suggests that ToM necessarily relies on more basic cognitive resources provided by EF, the latter being a key prerequisite that underpins ToM. For example, abundant longitudinal evidence has shown that early EFs predict the subsequent development of ToM, while initial ToM does not usually predict improvements in EFs, and both processes continue to develop together during childhood and adolescence (23\u0026ndash;26). In addition, executive deficits have been associated with lower ToM performance in vulnerable populations (27), in people with mild cognitive impairment (28) and in clinical populations (29).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsistent with these findings, our results show that the relationship between EFs and the experience of envy is explained through ToM, constituting a key mediator in the development of adaptive skills. EFs, by providing the necessary cognitive scaffolding, support the ability to attribute mental states to others, as reflected in performance on task of recognizing other\u0026rsquo;s emotions and thoughts (RMET). This capacity for mentalization, in turn, modulates the experience of complex social emotions, allowing envy to be processed and experienced base on how the intentions and emotions of others are interpreted. In other words, our observations suggest that EFs do not directly influence envy, but rather do so indirectly by enhancing ToM, which acts as the central mechanism that directs the effect toward social emotion. This pattern provides initial empirical evidence that the relationship between EFs and envy is explained by mentalization ability, highlighting the importance of considering social cognition processes as fundamental mediators in understanding the dynamics of complex social emotions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheory of Mind (ToM) underpins the experience of envy in two complementary ways. First, as a socio-cognitive skill, it allows us to infer and represent the mental and emotional states of others, enabling us to evaluate the achievements or advantages of others as relevant or desirable for ourselves (57,60), which increases the intensity of the emotion. Second, ToM interacts with executive processes, such as maintaining representations in working memory, inhibiting one\u0026rsquo;s own perspective to adopt that of another, and applying cognitive flexibility when processing social comparisons (33,61), thus integrating complex information in an adaptive manner. This dual function explains why effects of ToM on envy can be observed both directly and indirectly, reflecting that the intensity of this emotion depends not only on social cognition per se, but also on its integration with executive functions. Our findings support this interpretation, as ToM fully mediates the relationship between executive functions and the intensity of envy, indicating that the experience of envy reflects the interaction between mentalization ability and executive control, and underscores the complexity of this emotion as a multifactorial psychological phenomenon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen interpreting these results, it is important to consider certain methodological limitations. The cross-sectional design restricts the possibility of stablishing definitive causal relationships or evaluating the temporal stability of associations, although previous findings suggest some consistency in these relationships (18,19,62). Furthermore, although the sample size (N = 103) is comparable to previous studies on mediation (63), it would be advisable to replicate these findings in larger and more diverse samples, including clinical contexts and different sociocultural and economic settings, in order to explore the generalizability of the results.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study provides evidence that Theory of Mind (ToM) mediates the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and the insentity of envy. The findings suggest that envy is a multifactorial phenomenon, integrating social cognition and executive control, and constitute the first empirical evidence of this mediation. These results highlight the importance of considering ToM and EFs together in understanding complex social emotions and open new lines of research to further explore the mechanisms underlying the experience of envy.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eEFs\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExecutive Functions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eToM\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheory of Mind\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eIFS\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eINECO Frontal Screening\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eRMET\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReading the Mind in the Eyes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Adolfo Ibáñez University. All participants provided informed consent prior to participation. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki for research involving human subjects.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable. All data analyzed in this study were fully anonymized prior to analysis and reporting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data sets used are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests that could have influenced the work reported in this manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by grants from Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (ANID/FONDECYT Regular N°1231117 to David Huepe). The funder had no role in deciding to publish or prepare the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eT.A.C.O. and D.F.O. conceived the study aims and designed the research. T.A.C.O. and D.F.O. drafted the initial manuscript. D.F.O. conducted the data analysis and contributed to interpretation of the findings. D.H. edited the final version of the manuscript and provided funding. All authors read, revised, and approved the final version of the manuscript, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEqual contribution: T.A.C.O. and D.F.O. contributed equally to this work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorresponding author: D.H.A.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors thank all study participants for their time and commitment.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtak H, Jencius M, Albay A, Karatekin S, Tuzcuoğlu FK, Schadenfreude. Concept Rev Psikiyatr G\u0026uuml;ncel Yaklaşımlar 2025 Sept 30;17(3):598\u0026ndash;622.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLin H, Liang J, The Effect of Malicious Envy on Schadenfreude When Schadenfreude Is Elicited Through Social Comparisons. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2021 Dec 13 [cited 2025 Sept 22];12. Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769826/full\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769826/full\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLamm C, Singer T. The role of anterior insular cortex in social emotions. Brain Struct Funct 2010 June 1;214(5):579\u0026ndash;91.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBisquerra R, Canales A, Flich E. Emodiversidad: emociones sociales, morales, autoconscientes y de auto-trascendencia. Editorial Cuadernos de Pedagog\u0026iacute;a; 2024.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJankowski KF, Takahashi H. Cognitive neuroscience of social emotions and implications for psychopathology: examining embarrassment, guilt, envy, and schadenfreude. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2014;68(5):319\u0026ndash;36.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKhatatbeh Y, Yassin OSB, Freihat AM. Effect of social comparison on envy: A predictive study considering psychological and demographic variables among social media users. Humanities. 2025;6(3).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003evan de Ven N, Zeelenberg M, Pieters R. Leveling up and down: The experiences of benign and malicious envy. Emotion. 2009;9(3):419\u0026ndash;29.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBadarneh M, Arbel R, Ziv Y. Executive functions and social cognition from early childhood to pre-adolescence: A systematic review. Dev Rev. 2024;74:101167.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHorner SB, Lulla R, Wu H, Shaktivel S, Vaccaro A, Herschel E, et al. Brain activity associated with emotion regulation predicts individual differences in working memory ability. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2025;25(2):329\u0026ndash;43.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBekerom L, Donker MH, Mainhard T, Evers C. Everything under control? Daily dynamics of self-control and emotion regulation. Motiv Emot. 2025;49(1):15\u0026ndash;30.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeyers S, Hu D, Tamir M. Cognitive Reappraisal is More Effective for Regulating Emotions than Moods. Affect Sci; 2025. 1\u0026ndash;12 p.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eToh WX, Keh JS, Gross JJ, Carstensen LL. The role of executive function in cognitive reappraisal: A meta-analytic review. Emot Wash DC. 2024;24(7):1563\u0026ndash;81.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHill SE, DelPriore DJ, Vaughan PW. The cognitive consequences of envy: Attention, memory, and self-regulatory depletion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011;101(4):653\u0026ndash;66.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXiang Y, Zhao S, Wang H, Wu Q, Kong F, Mo L. Examining brain structures associated with dispositional envy and the mediation role of emotional intelligence. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):39947.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarrasso-Catanzaro C, Eslinger PJ. Neurobiological bases of executive function and social‐emotional development: Typical and atypical brain changes. Fam Relat. 2016;65(1):108\u0026ndash;19.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecerra Le\u0026oacute;n JC. Socio-cognitive predictors of envy and schadenfreude. 2020.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKloo D, Kaltefleiter LJ, Sodian B. Early perspective taking predicts later cognitive flexibility: A longitudinal study. Infant Child Dev. 2024;33(6).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLertladaluck K, Moriguchi Y. Executive functions and theory of mind development in preschoolers: Insights from NIRS data. Neuropsychologia. 2024;205:109031.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoznyak E, Rochat L, Badoud D, Meuleman B, Debban\u0026eacute; M. Unpacking mentalizing: The roles of age and executive functioning in self-other appraisal and perspective taking. Q J Exp Psychol 2006. 2025;78(8):1707\u0026ndash;20.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarlson SM, Mandell DJ, Williams L. Executive function and theory of mind: stability and prediction from ages 2 to 3. Dev Psychol. 2004;40:1105.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHughes C, Ensor R. Executive function and theory of mind: Predictive relations from ages 2 to 4. Dev Psychol. 2007;43(6):1447\u0026ndash;59.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarcovitch S, O\u0026rsquo;Brien M, Calkins SD, Leerkes EM, Weaver JM, Levine DW. A Longitudinal Assessment of the Relation between Executive Function and Theory of Mind at 3, 4, and 5 Years. Cogn Dev. 2015;33:40\u0026ndash;55.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eM\u0026uuml;ller U, Liebermann-Finestone DP, Carpendale JIM, Hammond SI, Bibok MB. Knowing minds, controlling actions: the developmental relations between theory of mind and executive function from 2 to 4 years of age. J Exp Child Psychol. 2012;111(2):331\u0026ndash;48.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchulte M, Trujillo N, Rodr\u0026iacute;guez-Villagra OA, Salas N, Iba\u0026ntilde;ez A, Carriedo N, et al. The role of executive functions, social cognition and intelligence in predicting social adaptation of vulnerable populations. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):18693.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMoreau N, Rauzy S, Bonnefoi B, Reni\u0026eacute; L, Martinez-Almoyna L, Viallet F, et al. Different Patterns of Theory of Mind Impairment in Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis JAD. 2015;45(2):581\u0026ndash;97.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmad\u0026oacute; A, Serrat E, Vall\u0026egrave;s-Majoral E. The Role of Executive Functions in Social Cognition among Children with Down Syndrome: Relationship Patterns. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2016 Sept 13 [cited 2025 Sept 22];7. Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01363/full\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01363/full\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbu-Akel A, Shamay-Tsoory S. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical bases of theory of mind. Neuropsychologia 2011 Sept 1;49(11):2971\u0026ndash;84.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoecker L, Loschelder DD, Topolinski S. How individuals react emotionally to others\u0026rsquo; (mis)fortunes: A social comparison framework. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2022 July;123(1):55\u0026ndash;83.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClemente L, Gasparre D, Alfeo F, Battista F, Abbatantuono C, Curci A et al. Theory of Mind and Executive Functions in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Healthy Aging. Brain Sci 2023 Sept 22;13(10):1356.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOeo Mor\u0026iacute;n I, Keulers EHH. Executive functions and theory of mind associations in middle childhood: Does social interaction act as a mediator? J Exp Child Psychol. 2024;248:106059.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTrujillo-Llano C, Sainz-Ballesteros A, Suarez-Ardila F, Gonzalez-Gadea ML, Ib\u0026aacute;\u0026ntilde;ez A, Herrera E, et al. Neuroanatomical markers of social cognition in neglected adolescents. Neurobiol Stress. 2024 July;31:100642.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLange J, Protasi S. An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Value of Envy. Rev Philos Psychol. 2024 June 1;15(2):403\u0026ndash;22.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGershman B. Envy in the process of development: Implications for Social Relations and Conflict. Econ Peace Secur J [Internet]. 2013 Oct 1 [cited 2025 Sept 26];8(2). Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.epsjournal.org.uk/index.php/EPSJ/article/view/148\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.epsjournal.org.uk/index.php/EPSJ/article/view/148\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrambilla M, Riva P. Self-image and schadenfreude: Pleasure at others\u0026rsquo; misfortune enhances satisfaction of basic human needs. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2017;47(4):399\u0026ndash;411.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSun B, Huang T, Wu Y, Fan L. Your Pain Pleases Others: The Influence of Social Interaction Patterns and Group Identity on Schadenfreude. Behav Sci. 2024;14(2):79.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaron-Cohen S. Theory of mind and autism: A review. Int Rev Res Ment Retard. 2000;23:169\u0026ndash;84.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuerta-Ramos E, Ferrer-Quintero M, G\u0026oacute;mez-Benito J, Gonz\u0026aacute;lez-Higueras F, Cuadras D, del Rey-Mej\u0026iacute;as \u0026Aacute;L, et al. Translation and validation of Baron Cohen\u0026rsquo;s face test in a general population from Spain. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2021;49(3):106\u0026ndash;13.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOlderbak S, Wilhelm O, Olaru G, Geiger M, Brenneman MW, Roberts RD. A psychometric analysis of the reading the mind in the eyes test: toward a brief form for research and applied settings. Front Psychol. 2015;6:1503.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFern\u0026aacute;ndez-Abascal EG, Cabello R, Fern\u0026aacute;ndez-Berrocal P, Baron-Cohen S. Test-retest reliability of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test: a one-year follow-up study. Mol Autism 2013 Sept 11;4(1):33.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIhnen J, Antivilo A, Mu\u0026ntilde;oz-Neira C, Slachevsky A. Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch): Psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy. Dement Neuropsychol. 2013;7(1):40\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTorralva T, Roca M, Gleichgerrcht E, L\u0026oacute;pez P, Manes F. INECO Frontal Screening (IFS): A brief, sensitive, and specific tool to assess executive functions in dementia\u0026ndash;CORRECTED VERSION. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2009 Sept;15(5):777\u0026ndash;86.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eB\u0026aacute;ez Buitrago SJ, Couto JBM, Torralva T, Sposato L, Huepe D, Monta\u0026ntilde;es P et al. Comparing Moral Judgments of Patients With Frontotemporal Dementia and Frontal Stroke. 2014 June [cited 2025 Sept 22]; Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/11336/29436\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/11336/29436\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaez S, Herrera E, Garc\u0026iacute;a AM, Manes F, Young L, Ib\u0026aacute;\u0026ntilde;ez A. Outcome-oriented moral evaluation in terrorists. Nat Hum Behav [Internet]. 2017 May 26 [cited 2025 Sept 22];1(6). Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85021131685\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85021131685\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator\u0026ndash;mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986;51(6):1173.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGunzler D, Chen T, Wu P, Zhang H. Introduction to mediation analysis with structural equation modeling. Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2013;25(6):390\u0026ndash;4.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePython Software Foundation. (2025). Python (Versi\u0026oacute;n 3.13.5) [Software]. Recuperado de \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.python.org/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.python.org/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMcKinney W. Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython. O\u0026rsquo;Reilly Media, Inc.; 2012. p. 471.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(PDF) Array programming with NumPy. ResearchGate [Internet]. [cited 2025 Sept 24]; Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/344301569_Array_programming_with_NumPy\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344301569_Array_programming_with_NumPy\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSciPy 1. 0: fundamental algorithms for scientific computing in Python | Nature Methods [Internet]. [cited 2025 Sept 24]. Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-019-0686-2\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-019-0686-2\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChester DS, Powell CAJ, Smith RH, Joseph JE, Kedia G, Combs DJY, et al. Justice for the average Joe: The role of envy and the mentalizing network in the deservingness of others\u0026rsquo; misfortunes. Soc Neurosci. 2013;8(6):640\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePreckel K, Kanske P, Singer T. On the interaction of social affect and cognition: empathy, compassion and theory of mind. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2018;19:1\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShamay-Tsoory SG, Tibi-Elhanany Y, Aharon-Peretz J. The green-eyed monster and malicious joy: the neuroanatomical bases of envy and gloating. (Schadenfreude Brain. 2007;130(6):1663\u0026ndash;78.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi Y, Wang S. Comparisons are Odious? - Exploring the Dual Effect of Upward Social Comparison on Workplace Coping Behaviors of Temporary Agency Workers. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023;16:4251\u0026ndash;65.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLuo Y, Eickhoff SB, H\u0026eacute;tu S, Feng C. Social comparison in the brain: A coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional brain imaging studies on the downward and upward comparisons. Hum Brain Mapp. 2018;39(1):440\u0026ndash;58.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDvash J, Gilam G, Ben-Ze\u0026rsquo;ev A, Hendler T, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The envious brain: the neural basis of social comparison. Hum Brain Mapp. 2010;31(11):1741\u0026ndash;50.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWade M, Prime H, Jenkins JM, Yeates KO, Williams T, Lee K. On the relation between theory of mind and executive functioning: A developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective. Psychon Bull Rev. 2018;25(6):2119\u0026ndash;40.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarlson SM, Claxton LJ, Moses LJ. The Relation Between Executive Function and Theory of Mind is More Than Skin Deep. J Cogn Dev. 2015;16(1):186\u0026ndash;97.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeltr\u0026aacute;n-Garrayo L, Larsen JK, Eisinga R, Vink JM, Blanco M, Graell M, et al. Childhood obesity and adolescent follow-up depressive symptoms: exploring a moderated mediation model of body esteem and gender. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024;33(8):2859\u0026ndash;69.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Executive Functions, Theory of Mind, Schadenfreude, envy","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eComplex social emotions such as envy require the integration of high-level cognitive processes, particularly Executive Functions (EFs) and Theory of Mind (ToM). However, little is known about how these factors influence the expression of such social emotions, particularly envy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of Executive Functions (EFs) and ToM in the intensity of envy expression. To this end, 103 individuals were assessed using Ineco Frontal Screening (IFS), Reading the Mind in the Eye test (RMET) and the Social Emotion Task for envy and Schadenfreude. A simple mediation analysis was conducted in which EFs predicted envy through the mediation of ToM.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results showed that ToM significantly mediated the relationship between EFs and the intensity of envy, demonstrating the modulatory role of social cognition in the experience of complex social emotions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese findings provide insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying envy and highlight the role of ToM as a link between executive functions and social emotions. In practical terms, they suggest that strengthening social cognition could promote emotional regulation and guide future research on its impact on interpersonal relationships and psychological well-being.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Cognitive mechanisms of envy: The mediating role of theory of mind in the relationship between executive functions and envy","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-26 10:07:33","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745706/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-08T05:31:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-06T23:22:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-15T17:55:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"292496149537604526251467754485725924025","date":"2025-11-26T16:32:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"187918693296416320404125709748156129649","date":"2025-11-24T14:47:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-17T13:36:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-13T19:12:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-16T15:58:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-14T14:38:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2025-10-14T14:28:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ff1edb27-5937-4552-9434-76d5c9fce580","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 26th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-16T16:05:27+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7745706","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04315-w","journal":{"identity":"bmc-psychology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Psychology"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-13 15:59:53","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 13th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-26 10:07:33","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04315-w","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04315-w","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7745706","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7745706","identity":"rs-7745706","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}