Asymmetrical Effects of Justice Sensitivity Perspectives on Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior

Abstract

Three studies explore the effects of perspective-specific justice sensitivity on indicators of both prosocial behavior (i.e., existential guilt, solidarity, and responsibility ascriptions towards the disadvantaged) and antisocial behavior (i.e., the willingness to transgress a norm in a moral temptation dilemma). On the basis of theoretical considerations and earlier findings it is expected that being sensitive towards injustice from a beneficiary’s perspective is associated positively with prosocial and negatively with antisocial behavior, whereas the opposite should be true for being sensitive towards injustice from a victim’s perspective. The results from all three studies support these hypotheses. It is argued that JS-beneficiary indicates a genuine, “other-oriented” concern for justice and social responsibility, whereas JS-victim indicates a mixture of “self-related” and justice-related concerns.