Schadenfreude

In the behavioural sciences, Schadenfreude is the term for a euphoric affective state experienced in response to visual and auditory stimuli communicating others experiencing pain or suffering. The euphoric effect has been observed to be significantly elevated in females, primarily of Western origin, when the suffering is observed in males known to the test subject, with a strong correlation between the level of prior intimacy and intensity of the euphoria. Of particular note is the extreme degree to which other faculties may be impaired as the intensity of the euphoric state increases in the observer, in correlation to the increased suffering of the observed.