Ask people what they want in a friend, and most will say kindness and trustworthiness. A set of six studies suggests that answer leaves something out: under some conditions, people prefer vicious friends, as long as that viciousness is aimed at their enemies.
The research, published in 2023 in Evolution and Human Behavior, won the 2026 Ig Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Zurich on September 3. Improbable Research honored Jaimie Arona Krems, Rebecka Hahnel-Peeters, Laureon Merrie, Keelah Williams and Daniel Sznycer for documenting that we value friends who are vicious to people we dislike. Krems, Williams and Sznycer attended the ceremony, where real Nobel laureates handed out the prizes.
