Abstract
Individuals differ systematically in how much they are concerned with matters of justice or injustice. So far, in various domains of life, such as romantic relationships, work, and school contexts, dispositional justice sensitivity has been found to be a powerful predictor of individual-level processing and interpersonal behaviors. Yet, matters of justice and injustice often materialize at the group level, especially when conflicts about status, rights, and resources occur between groups. Here, we propose a theoretical framework to understand how different facets of justice sensitivity (i.e., victim, beneficiary/perpetrator, and observer sensitivities) are relevant for group-level processes in intergroup contexts. Integrating research on justice sensitivity and intergroup conflict, we develop several propositions regarding how and under which conditions justice sensitivity influences intergroup experiences, attitudes, and behaviors. We selectively review the existing empirical evidence that can speak to the validity of these propositions, and outline future research that can test our propositions.
Highlights
Justice is a fundamental human value (Montada, 2007), concerning interpersonal relationships as well as relations within and between social groups and societies
Given thatjustice is an important social phenomenon in interpersonal as much as in intergroup relations, researchers have started to address the relevance of the justice sensitivity (JS) perspectives in intergroup contexts
We have proposed a theoretical framework that can guide future research to understand when and how the JS perspectives should become relevant for shaping group-level appraisals, emotion, and behavior, in intergroup contexts
Summary
Higher (compared to lower) victim sensitivity entails the ready perception of unjust own victimization, repeated thoughts and intense anger when having experienced victimization, and strong intentions to protest and redress the injustice (Mohiyeddini & Schmitt, 1997; Schmitt & Mohiyeddini, 1996). Further processes of victim sensitivity were spelled out in the Sensitivity to Mean Intentions (SeMI) model (Gollwitzer & Rothmund, 2009; Gollwitzer et al, 2013). According to this model, victim sensitivity involves a hypersensitivity to cues indicating a threat of being exploited. In close interpersonal relationships, victim-sensitive persons were found to tend toward mistrustful interpretations of their partners’ attempts at reconciliation after conflict, and a reluctance to forgive, coupled with intentions of revenge and legitimizing thoughts (Gerlach et al, 2012). Victim sensitivity seems to entail self-oriented concerns about injustice, and sometimes rather antisocial consequences of a motivation to prevent or redress unjust victimization
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