Scientists have discovered why retaliatory rudeness seems normal to people

It's about responding to behaviour, not endorsing it.

Details

The study involved five experiments involving nearly 850 people.

Participants were asked to rate situations in which a person either started being rude or responded to someone else's rudeness.

It turned out that:

• retaliatory rudeness is considered more "fair"
• such people are more often supported and even "rewarded"
• the initiators of rudeness are evaluated much worse

For example, users were more likely to support rude comments online if they were in response to an insult.

Similar results were observed in sports: aggressive behaviour was perceived as more justified if it was a response to a violation.

In work situations, a polite response was still rated best, but a rude response was no more judgemental than a neutral response.

Why it matters

The results show that people do not evaluate behaviour in isolation, but in context.

Researchers note:

• responding rudely is perceived as a defence
• it can signal boundaries and norms
• social judgement depends on the background of the situation

At the same time, the researchers emphasise that politeness remains the most preferred strategy.

Background

Previous research has largely viewed rudeness as an unambiguously negative behaviour.

The new work shows that its perception is more complex and context-dependent.

Source

The study is based on five experiments involving around 850 people, analysing perceptions of rudeness in a range of situations, from online interactions to sports and work. The work was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2026).