General and personal just-world beliefs, gratitude, forgiveness, and cooperativeness: A multiple mediation model

Abstract

Belief in a just world (BJW) may influence cooperation, but it is unclear whether general and personal BJW (GBJW and PBJW) have the same impact on cooperativeness in collectivistic cultures as it does in individualistic ones. The present study explored the relationships between GBJW, PBJW, cooperativeness, gratitude, and forgiveness to determine the effect of BJW on cooperativeness and explore possible mediating mechanisms. Data was obtained from self-report questionnaires completed by Chinese university students. The structural equation model with 574 effective questionnaires showed that GBJW positively and PBJW negatively predicted cooperativeness, and gratitude partially mediated these relationships. The results imply that the functions of GBJW and PBJW of Chinese people are different from those in Western cultures. These might indicate the discrepancies in collectivistic and individualistic cultures. The current study adds substantially to our understanding of the adaptive functions of GBJW and PBJW and emphasises the importance of distinguishing between both functions in different cultures.