The Level of Equity and Justification of the Sanctions Distributed within the Family and Professional Fields

Abstract

This study explores the manner in which individuals explain their decisions when assigning sanctions (positive or negative consequences) during social interactions. Traditionally, individuals are thought to take responsibility for their actions (internal attribution). However, a certain number of results obtained in the field of education or in the work environment highlight the fact that in the case of sanction distributing behaviours, that is to say if we question the distributor (and no longer the receiver) of a sanction, attributions are more external than self-attributing. This research aims primarily to verify that such results can also be obtained in order to explain the sanctions distributed by a parent to their children or by a spouse to their wife. Moreover, considering that certain sanctions may not correspond to just compensation for the conduct of the individual being sanctioned, we also wanted, on an exploratory basis, to examine the attributions carried out by the distributors of unjust sanctions, again within the familial environment as well as in the professional field. A questionnaire was administered to 64 employees (with an equal distribution of men and women) who were also parents of young children. The questionnaire presented scenarios where individuals in power positions (a father to a child, a husband to a wife and a manager to a subordinate) distributed sanctions (fair or unfair) and the participants were asked to explain the cause using internal or external attributions. The results show that, for just sanctions, the attributions are preferentially external, while for unjust sanctions, differences are observed according to the gender of the participant. From an educational perspective, this research sheds light on the manner in which power dynamics in classrooms can influence how educators assign responsibility for learning. By recognizing the tendency to place blame externally when providing feedback or consequences, educators can create a learning environment that emphasizes internal responsibility and shared ownership of academic achievement. This shift in behaviour empowers students and fosters a stronger sense of agency in their own learning journey.