To the victors go the spoils.

• Position: Psychology - Aggressiveness of winners - Brief article

In this world, there are winners and losers--and, for your own safety, it is best to fear the winners. A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science finds that winners--those who outperformed others on a competitive task--act more aggressively against the people they beat than the losers do against the victors.

"It seems that people have a tendency to stomp down on those they have defeated, to really rub it in," explains study coauthor Brad Bushman. "Losers, on the other hand, don't really act any more aggressively than normal against those who defeat theme."

There are reasons to believe either side could be in a fighting mood, Bushman indicates. Losers might be...