Winning gives people a sense of power over those they defeated. The experience of power also comes with the impression that you can do whatever you want without serious social consequences, including behaving aggressively against those you have power over—losers.

There also seems to be a tendency to strike out at people we don’t like, including losers.

Brad Bushman is the Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication at The Ohio State University.