Professor Crane was ecstatic when he learned that his research study had been approved for publication. His feelings of joy quickly dissipated,however,when he heard a colleague recently had three different research articles accepted for publication. His declining emotional satisfaction is best explained in terms of

Question

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The declining emotional satisfaction that Professor Crane experiences is best explained by relative deprivation, which refers to the perception that one is worse off compared to those with whom one compares oneself. In this case, Professor Crane's colleague with three accepted research articles serves as the reference group, which makes him feel relatively deprived and less satisfied despite his achievement of having his own research study approved for publication.

Professor Crane Was Ecstatic When He Learned That His Research