Just World Research Articles

Perceived Parental Emotional Warmth and Prosocial Behaviors among Emerging Adults: Personal Belief in a Just World and Gratitude as Mediators

Perceived Parental Emotional Warmth and Prosocial Behaviors among Emerging Adults: Personal Belief in a Just World and Gratitude as Mediators

Social dominance orientation, belief in a just world and intergroup contact as predictors of homeless stigmatisation

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore individual and situational predictors of homeless stigmatization. The aim was to test if individual differences in Belief in a Just World (BJW) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) moderate the effect of quantity and quality of contact on stigmatization of the homeless. One hundred and eighty-seven participants completed measures of BJW, SDO, quality, and quantity of contact, as well as a measure of homeless stigmatization. Results showed that BJW and SDO correlated positively with stigmatization, while both quantity and quality of contact were negatively correlated with stigmatization. SDO was found to moderate the relationship between quantity of contact and stigmatization; more contact with the homeless was related to lower stigmatization for participants with low and moderate SDO scores but not those with high SDO. BJW did not moderate the relationship between contact and stigmatization. Implications regarding the interaction between SDO and contact are discussed.

The social gradient in adolescent mental health: mediated or moderated by belief in a just world?

PurposeA social gradient in adolescent mental health exists: adolescents with higher socioeconomic status (SES) have fewer mental health problems than their peers with lower SES. Little is known about whether adolescents’ societal beliefs play a role in this social gradient. Belief in a just world (BJW) may be a mediator or moderator of the social gradient in adolescent mental health.MethodsUsing data from 848 adolescents (Mage = 17) in the Netherlands, path analyses examined whether two indicators of BJW (general and personal) mediated or moderated the associations between two indicators of SES (family affluence and perceived family wealth), and four indicators of adolescent mental health problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems).ResultsAdolescents with lower family affluence and lower perceived family wealth reported more emotional symptoms, and the association between perceived family wealth and emotional symptoms was mediated by lower personal and general BJW. Furthermore, higher personal BJW amplified the negative association between SES and peer problems.ConclusionThis study suggests BJW may both mediate and amplify the social gradient in adolescent mental health. Adolescents’ beliefs about society may be important to include in research aimed at understanding this social gradient.

Consideration of Belief in a Just World Regarding Close Relationships

Bu alanyazın incelemesi, adil dünya inancı kavramının yakın kişilerarası ilişkiler açısından ele alınması hakkında bilgileri sunmaktadır. Adil dünya inancı; ruh sağlığı, adli psikoloji, endüstri-örgüt psikolojisi, sosyal psikoloji ve din psikolojisi gibi alanlarda çalışılmış olsa da yakın kişilerarası ilişkiler alanında sınırlı olarak ele alındığı ve bu alanda bir boşluk ve gereksinim olduğu görülmüştür. Bireylerin hak ettiklerini yaşadıklarına ve yaşadıklarını hak ettiklerine inanmaları anlamına gelen adil dünya inancı kavramının işlevleri, özellikleri ve gelişimi hakkında kuramsal açıklamalar gözden geçirilmiş, genel ve kişisel adil dünya inancı ayrımı ile hemen gelen adalet ve önünde sonunda gelen adalet ayrımı ele alınmış, adil dünya inancını destekleyen kuramlar kısaca açıklanmıştır. Ulaşılabilen ve yakın kişiler arası ilişkilerle ilişkili olabilecek alanyazın özetlenmiştir. Adil dünya inancının bireylerin çift ve evlilik ilişkisi içinde yaşadıkları olumlu ve şiddet, istismar, ihmal, aldatma gibi olumsuz deneyimleri bilişsel ve davranışsal olarak nasıl ele alacaklarını etkileyebileceği görülmektedir. Adil dünya inancının yakın kişilerarası ilişkilerde hem olumlu hem de olumsuz etkileri olabileceği görülmektedir. Bireylerin çift ve evlilik ilişkisi içinde yaşadıkları bu tür deneyimlerde içine girecekleri döngüler ile affetme, ilişkide kalma ya da ayrılma süreçlerinde görülebilecek adil dünya inancının yansımaları vurgulanarak tartışılmıştır. Adil dünya inancının yakın kişiler arası ilişkilerde ele alınmasına ilişkin daha ileri nitel ve nicel araştırmalarla ilgili öneriler sunulmuştur.

A Predictive Model of Spiritual Well-being Based on Belief in a Just World Mediated by the Positive and Negative Affects in University Students

Background: Spiritual well-being is crucial in human health and reduces anxiety and depression. Therefore, identifying its underlying variables can improve individuals’ health. Objectives: This study aimed to predict a model of spiritual well-being based on belief in a just world mediated by positive and negative effects in university students of Tehran. Methods: This was a descriptive correlation study performed through path analysis. The statistical population consisted of students studying at different universities of Tehran during 2020 - 2021. The research sample comprised 301 university students (199 female and 102 male). The participants completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Belief in a Just World Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The model was evaluated using path analysis in AMOS 24.0. Results: The results showed that the path coefficient between positive affect and spiritual well-being was positive and significant, and the path coefficient between negative affect and spiritual well-being was negative and significant (P < 0.001). The total path coefficient between the belief in a just world (BJW) and spiritual well-being was positive and significant, and the path coefficient between the belief in an unjust world (BUW) and spiritual well-being was negative and significant (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant positive indirect path coefficient between BJW and spiritual well-being (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the positive and negative affects played positive mediating roles between BJW and spiritual well-being. Conclusions: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that BJW, positive effects, and strengthening them can enhance the level of spiritual well-being and reduce the students’ negative effect, anxiety, and depression levels.

Belief in a Just World and Moral Personality as Mediating Roles Between Parenting Emotional Warmth and Internet Altruistic Behavior.

This study explores the influence of parental emotional warmth (PEW) on college students’ Internet altruistic behavior (IAB), and the mediating roles of personal belief in a just world (PBJW) and positive moral personality traits (PMPT). A total of 893 college students were assessed using questionnaires. Results: (1) PEW, PBJW, PMPT, and IAB are positively correlated with each other; (2) PEW can directly predict the IAB of college students; and (3) PEW can indirectly predict IAB through the mediating effect of PMPT and PBJW-PMPT. PBJW and PMPT account for 22.79% of the total influence of PEW on IAB.

Celebrity hate: Credibility and belief in a just world in prediction of celebrity hate.

Celebrity hate: Credibility and belief in a just world in prediction of celebrity hate.

AN EXAMINATION OF MEN'S IMPLICIT ASSOCIATIONS TOWARDS GENDER AND VIOLENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BELIEF IN A JUST WORLD

Violence is being researched increasingly. However, these studies mostly focus on explicit attitudes. Studies focusing on the implicit cognitive structure point to three implicit attitudes: Implicit attitudes towards gender, implicit attitudes towards violence, and implicit associations between gender and violence. In the present study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between these implicit attitudes of men and their demographic characteristics including age, education, employment status, income and socio-economic status, and Belief in a Just World (BJW). To measure implicit attitudes, three Implicit Association Tests (IATs) were translated into Turkish. Two hundred two men, aged between 18 and 55 years (M. = 27.96, SD = 9.68), participated in the study. The findings revealed that implicit attitudes towards gender and violence were associated with age, but not with other demographics. While implicit associations between gender and violence did not differ in terms of demographics, they were found to be related to implicit attitudes towards gender and General BJW. The results were evaluated in the context of normalizing violence against women in society. It is thought that the IATs used can contribute to the intervention programs in Turkey, and the findings obtained with this demographically diverse sample can contribute to the relevant literature. Keywords Belief in a just world, male violence, Implicit Association Test, implicit attitudes

Examining the Relationships Among Concealment Tendencies, Illness Attitudes, Belief in a Just World, and Cognitive Flexibility.

The purpose of this study was to verify the relationships among concealment tendencies, illness attitudes, belief in a just world, and cognitive flexibility. The participants were 418 Korean and 400 Chinese adults. We conducted correlational analysis, structural equation modeling, and verification of mediating effects. We found that cognitive flexibility–control factor fully mediated the relationship between concealment tendencies and illness attitudes for Korean participants and partially mediated the relationship for Chinese participants. The relationship between concealment tendencies and cognitive flexibility–alternatives factor differed across participants’ country of origin. For Chinese participants, cognitive flexibility–alternatives fully mediated the relationship between concealment tendencies and belief in a just world. These differences might stem from the countries’ different social systems, values, and attitudes. Finally, we discuss this study’s implications and limitations.

The Relation Between Gender Microaggressions And Psychological Distress: The Mediating Effects of Belief In A Just World and Perceived Control

본 연구는 최근 한국 사회에서 화두로 떠오른 성차별 문제에 대해 다루고자 ‘마이크로어그레션 (Microaggression)’ 개념을 적용한 일상 속 성차별 경험이 20대 여성에게 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 하였다. 온라인을 통하여 20대 여성 295명의 자료를 수집하고, SPSS 21.0과 PROCESS MACRO 3.5를 사용하여 분석을 실시하였다. 연구 결과 일상 속 성차별 경험은 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음(BJW)와는 정적으로, 심리적 디스트레스와는 부적으로 유의한 상관관계에 있으며 BJW는 통제감, 심리적 디스트레스와 각각 정적으로, 통제감은 디스트레스와 부적으로 유의한 상관관계를 이루고 있음이 확인되었다. 더불어 일상 속 성차별 경험이 BJW와 통제감을 순차적으로 거쳐 심리적 디스트레스로 이어지는 관계가 확인되었다. 이러한 결과를 토대로 본 연구는 한국 사회에서 20대 여성이 경험하는 일상 속 성차별 경험의 부정적 영향력에 대해 조명하고, 도출된 결과의 활용방안에 대해 논의하였다.

Career Developmental Characteristic in Latent Classes based on Belief in a Just World and Social class of Middle-aged adult

Career Developmental Characteristic in Latent Classes based on Belief in a Just World and Social class of Middle-aged adult

Gender differences in the reaction to COVID-19

ABSTRACT Since December 2019, COVID-19, has affected many aspects of people’s lives – women and men alike. The current study examined gender differences due to the pandemic-resultant-lockdown in psychiatric symptomatology (depression, anxiety, and somatization), coping strategies, levels of resilience, and belief in a just world (BJW). One-thousand-and-sixty-five Israeli adults (309 men and 756 women) were interviewed online during the time Israel was under its first mandatory lockdown (March 2020). Results indicated higher levels of anxiety, depression, and somatization among women (t (635.238) = -8.86, p < .001; t (606.414) = -5.31, p < .001; t (743.856) = -6.80; p < .001; respectively). More women stopped working due to the lockdown (Z = 2.08, p = .037), and fewer women reported their jobs being considered „essential„ (Z = 2.76, p = .006). Women were more concerned than men regarding the health of others (t (1063) = -2.71, p = .007) and regarding finances (t (1062) = -2.99, p = .003), but no gender differences were found regarding concerns for one’s own health. Women used more coping tactics, both emotion-focused (t (1062) = -8.20, p < .001) and problem-focused (t (1062) = -5.21, p < .001), than did men. Higher levels of resilience (t (1057) = 3.11, p = .002) and BJW (t (1047) = 5.19, p < .001) were found among men than among women. Being a woman, younger age, use of emotion-focused coping, lower levels of resilience, worries about the economic situation, and worries about family members’ health explained 43% of the variance in psychological distress. No significant interactions between gender, study variables, and psychological distress were found. These findings indicate that gender differences in psychological reactions may be due to the heavier toll taken by the pandemic and lockdown on the lives of women rather than to gender differences in coping tactics or resilience.

A dark lens or a dark world? Conceptualising Justice Capital

Perceptions of justice have been extensively researched within just world theory as both defensive coping mechanisms and as personal resources. This paper advocates for more programmatic efforts to be devoted to understanding perceptions of justice as rational reflections of individual access to justice. Justice Capital is conceptualised here as an individual difference based on status, microsystem authorities, effort-effect pipeline, voice, and society. These dimensions can overlap and operate on both personal and systemic levels. It is a form of capital to experience the effect of one's actions, to be treated fairly by authorities, to self-advocate, and to live in a society that has a higher justice baseline. Currently, just-world theory correlational research alternates between its positive and negative effects and between viewing belief in a just world as a predictor or as an outcome. For research to move forward productively in this field, researchers must articulate and investigate when self-evaluations of justice are rational reflections of participants' individual access to justice and connect research to existing injustices. This paper points to existing evidence of a Justice Capital interpretation and suggests how this construct can advance the theory into new directions of empirical research.

The Relationship Between the Career Calling and Burnout of Sexual Violence Counselors: The Mediated Effect of Professional Identity and Belief in a Just World

본 연구는 성폭력 상담자의 소명의식과 소진과의 관계에서 전문직 정체성과 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음의매개 효과를 확인하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 서울, 인천, 경기, 충청도, 강원도, 경상도 등에서 근무하는성폭력 상담자를 대상으로 표집한 349명의 설문자료를 분석하였다. 주요 연구결과는 첫째, 소명의식과소진은 유의한 부적 상관을 보였다. 둘째, 소명의식은 전문직 정체성과 유의한 정적 상관을 보였다. 셋째, 소명의식과 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음 또한 유의한 정적 상관을 보였다. 이외 전문직 정체성과정당한 세상에 대한 믿음, 전문직 정체성과 소진, 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음과 소진 또한 유의미한상관을 보였다. 그리고 소명의식, 전문직 정체성, 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음, 소진의 관계에 대한 연구모형이 자료와 잘 맞는지 알아보기 위하여 구조모형을 설정하여 적합도를 검증한 결과, 직접 경로가모두 유의하였다. 소명의식이 전문직 정체성으로 가는 경로, 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음으로 가는 경로, 소진으로 가는 경로, 전문적 정체성이 소진으로 가는 길, 정당한 세상에 대한 믿음이 소진으로 가는경로가 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 종합하면, 소명의식과 소진의 직접 효과가 유의하며, 전문직 정체성과정당한 세상에 대한 믿음의 두 간접 경로의 매개효과가 통계적으로 유의한 것으로 확인되었다. 이를통해 소명의식과 소진의 관계에서 전문직 전체성과 정담한 세상에 대한 믿음이 부분매개 효과를 지니는것으로 해석할 수 있다. 마지막으로 결과를 바탕으로 성폭력 상담현장과 성폭력 상담자의 연구를 위한본 연구의 시사점과 제언을 논의하였다.

Socializing justice: The interface of just world beliefs and legal socialization

AbstractOne of the pillars of legal socialization theory is how non‐legal contexts shape the legitimacy of and compliance with laws. Yet there is little longitudinal evidence establishing the interface mechanism between these spheres. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate how youths’ beliefs in a just world (BJW) can help explain the transmission between the justice of non‐legal authorities (parents and schools) and law legitimacy and rule violating behavior (RVB). We utilized two waves of longitudinal data from adolescents at ages 13 and 14 (N = 680) in the São Paulo Legal Socialization Study. Structural equation modeling revealed a good fit to the tested model that parental procedural justice and school justice predict both personal and general BJW, and these predict law legitimacy evaluations 1 year later. General and personal BJW also had an indirect effect on RVB over the following year via law legitimacy. The results suggest that non‐legal authorities may influence law legitimacy not through a direct projection (which was not significant), but through an indirect process of worldview construction. Legal socialization and just world belief research can converge to help explain the interface between non‐legal and legal spheres of authority.

How Fair is Economic Inequality? Belief in a Just World and the Legitimation of Economic Disparities in 27 European Countries.

This article aims to examine the role of Belief in a Just World (BJW) in the legitimation of economic inequality. Using data from 27 European countries (N=47,086), we conducted multilevel analyses and found that BJW positively predicted the legitimation of economic inequality, measured by three indicators: the perceived fairness of the overall wealth inequality, and the fairness of the earnings made by the Top 10% and the Bottom 10% of society. These results persisted after controlling for individual- and country-level variables. Moreover, the BJW effect was stronger on the legitimation of the Bottom 10% incomes, compared to the legitimation of the Top 10%. We also found that economic inequality at the country-level reduced the BJW effect on legitimation of inequality. Finally, BJW displayed a negative indirect effect on support for redistribution, via the legitimation of economic inequalities.

Personal and general belief in a just world and self-esteem in primary school students

According to the just world theory, individuals have the need to believe that the world is a fair and predictable place where good things happen to “good” people and bad things happen to “bad” people. Previous research on this theory has focused mainly on students of secondary education and higher education. The current study examines personal (PBJW) and general (GBJW) belief in a just world in 292 fifth and sixth-grade primary school students (Mage = 10.98, SD = 0.74) in Greece. It also investigates the effect of other demographic variables, such as grade, gender, and place of residence on self-esteem. Lastly, it explores the contribution of PBJW and GBJW to self-esteem. Students completed the Greek translation of the scales of General and Personal Belief in a Just World as well as a Self-Esteem Scale. The results indicated that students more strongly endorse PBJW than GBJW. Also, PBJW and children’s place of residence significantly predict self-esteem, indicating that the more the students feel they are treated fairly, the better their level of self-esteem.

Ekolojik Adil Dünya İnancı: Türkiye’deki Bir Örneklemde Bir Çapraz-Geçerleme Çalışması

Examples of environmental injustice are widespread, and perceived injustice is an important predictor of environmental behaviour. However, the extent to which inequalities are perceived as just or unjust, as well as reactions towards the perception of injustice, vary among individuals. According to Lerner, individuals are motivated to believe in a just world in which people get what they deserve and deserve what they get. Ecological belief in a just world (EBJW) was developed as a construct that is in line with this general belief in a just world (BJW). This belief indicates that the world is basically an ecologically just place in which people get what they deserve as far as ecological resources and demands are concerned. The aim of the present study is to cross-validate EBJW in a Turkish sample. Another aim is to test the predictive power of EBJW on environmentally relevant commitments along with established other constructs. The sample consists of 245 participants (Nfemale= 160, Nmale= 83, Nmissing= 2) aged from 15 to 69 years (M = 34.23; SD = 10.28). Overall, the variable pattern and the complex motivation structure involved in pro-environmental as well as environmentally risky commitment can be confirmed in the Turkish sample. The results reveal that EBJW qualifies as a predictor of pro-environmental as well as environmentally risky behavioural commitment. This successful cross-validation underpins the need to further investigate EBJW as a powerful and important construct within the field of environmental psychology. In line with the cross-validation of BJW, further validation studies of EBJW should be conducted in other countries. Moreover, as EBJW is a rather new construct, the mediating and moderating variables in its relations with environmental behaviour are waiting to be explored. Finally, its relations with other prominent constructs in environmental psychology such as social dominance orientation, value orientations, personality traits, and authoritarianism should be examined.

Should people get what they deserve?: Belief in a Just World and Voting Preference in the 2020 Presidential Election

Should people get what they deserve?: Belief in a Just World and Voting Preference in the 2020 Presidential Election Randall E. Osborne, Christopher Baroody Introduction Before discussing the specifics of the present study, a survey in which Belief in a Just World scores were entered into a logistic regression with expressed voting preference during the 2020 Presidential election, a some-what extensive foray into the literature on personality and politics is essential for outlining the rationale behind the assumption that personality variables, in general, and Belief in a Just World, in particular, would have an influence on voting preference. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jppg.v9n1a1

The Relationship between Sense of Power and Subjective Wellbeing of Hearing Impaired College Students: The Mediating Role of Belief in A Just World

听障大学生；权力感；公正世界信念；主观幸福感