Revenge Fantasies Expressed Through Drawings and Narratives: Insights from Indian Perspectives Based on Gender and Religion

The mixed-methods study aimed to explore revenge fantasies among Indians, focusing on gender and religious differences, and to evaluate the alignment between quantitative measures and qualitative expressions through drawings and narratives. The sample comprised 97 Indian women and 55 men, aged 18–56, who identified as either Hindu or Christian. Quantitative assessments included the demographics sheet, Traumatic Events Questionnaire (TEQ), and Injustice Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ). Qualitative measures involved drawings and narratives depicting a personal injustice and the participant's desired outcome for the perpetrator. Analysis employed non-parametric tests and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis for the drawings and narratives. The findings revealed no overall gender differences in the revenge fantasies depicted in drawings, though differences emerged in the types of perpetrators and central themes in narratives. Religious affiliation influenced the type of revenge fantasy, with Hindus and Christians showing significant differences in narrative organization, central themes, and resolution. Additionally, significant correlations were found between IEQ scores and various drawing indicators (event type, perpetrator type, and hierarchy) as well as narrative themes. These results suggest that gender and religious affiliation intricately shape revenge fantasies, highlighting the importance of considering cultural and social factors in understanding responses to perceived injustices.