My research focuses on social comparison processes and social emotions:

In the social comparison area, students in my lab are examining various emotional and self-evaluative reactions to another person's superiority or inferiority. For example, using predictions based on evolutionary psychology, we are contrasting "awe" reactions to superiority with envious and resentful reactions.

With regard to social emotions, we are examining a number of distinctive emotional reactions to either good or bad events happening to others. One project focuses on distinguishing the contrasting emotions of schadenfreude (pleasure at another person's suffering) and gluckschmerz (displeasure at another person's absence of suffering). In addition to paper and pencil procedures, we are examining these emotions using fMRI technology. We are also exploring gender differences in jealousy, emotional reactions in politics and sports, and questions concerning the emotions of guilt, shame, and humiliation.

• Combs, D.J.Y, Powell, C.A.J, Schurtz, D.R., & Smith, R.H. (2009). Politics, schadenfreude, and ingroup indentification: The sometimes funny thing about a poor economy and death. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 635-646.
• Smith, R. H. (Ed.). (2008). Envy: Theory and research. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Smith, R. H., & Kim, S. H. (2007). Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 46-64.
• Smith, R. H., Eyre, H. L., Powel, C. A., & Kim, S. H. (2006). Relativistic origins of emotional reactions to events happening to others and to ourselves. British Journal of Social Psychology, 45, 357-371.
• Gaines, L. M., Duvall, J., Webster, J. M., & Smith, R. H. (2005). Feeling good after praise for a successful performance: The importance of social comparison information. Self and Identity, 4, 373-389.
• Smith, R. H. (2004). Envy and its transmutations. In Leach, C. W. & Tiedens, L. (Eds.) The social life of emotions (pp.43-63). Cambridge, EN: Cambridge University Press.
• Webster, J. M., Duvall, J., Gaines, L. M., & Smith, R. H. (2003). The role of praise and social comparison information in the experience of pride. Journal of Social Psychology, 143, 209-232.
• Smith, R. H., Webster, J. M., Parrott, W. G., & Eyre, H. (2002). The role of public exposure in the experience of moral and nonmoral shame and guilt. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 138-159.
• Smith, R. H. (2000) Assimilative and contrastive emotional reactions to upward and downward social comparisons. In J. Suls & L. Wheeler (Eds.), Handbook of social comparison: Theory and research (pp.173 -200). New York: Plenum.