System Justification Research Articles

“I Have Nothing to Complain About!”: System Justification Tendencies Undermines Collective Action Through Adherence to Hierarchy-Legitimizing Ideologies / “No tengo de qué quejarme”: Las tendencias a la justificación del sistema debilitan la acción colectiva a través de la adherencia a ideologías que legitiman la jerarquía

All societies are organized based on hierarchies, where some groups have more power than others. Although some may aspire for a hierarchy-free world, hierarchies are inevitable and strongly resistant to changes. People may feel motivated to see hierarchical social systems as fair, legitimate, and justified, and endorse system-justifying ideologies, such as social dominance orientation (SDO), contributing to the maintenance and perpetuation of intergroup inequality. Belief in the social system’s fairness and legitimacy should increase acceptance and support for the existing society-based social stratification and status hierarchies, weakening support for collective action towards social change. We tested this idea, with two studies, conducted on members of the general population ( N = 121) and on members of a disadvantaged group highly mobilized for social change towards intergroup equality ( N = 154). Results showed that system justification undermines collective action through SDO (full mediation). We discuss the implications of including ideological processes when predicting collective action.

Measuring Subjective Inequality: Development and Validation of the Perceived Economic Inequality Scale (PEIS).

The main goal of the present research is to develop and validate the Perceived Economic Inequality Scale (PEIS), an instrument measuring individuals' perceptions of economic inequality at the national level. The study was conducted on a representative sample of the Italian population (N = 1,446, 51% women). The factorial structure of the scale was assessed through cross-validated exploratory-confirmatory factor analyses. To inspect the PEIS psychometric properties, item and correlation analyses were performed. The results showed that the PEIS is a valid and reliable unidimensional measure of perceived economic inequality at the national level. Further support of the PEIS construct validity was provided by the correlation of the scale score with the perceived wage gap and ideological beliefs like the economic system justification, social dominance orientation, meritocratic beliefs, and participants' political orientation. Crucially, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported configural, metric, and scalar invariances of the scale across socio-demographic groups. The PEIS allows researchers to assess the subjective component of economic inequality by also serving as a useful tool for unpacking the psychological correlates of perceived inequality.

학벌 차별은 언제 그리고 왜 발생하는가?: 체제 정당화, 고정관념, 그리고 학벌에 따른 고용 차별

학벌 차별은 언제 그리고 왜 발생하는가?: 체제 정당화, 고정관념, 그리고 학벌에 따른 고용 차별

Вклад оправдания системы в социальную сплоченность

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Analysis of the contribution of the system justification to social cohesion. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Social cohesion in Russia, as well as around the world, is declining, despite its beneficial impact on the society. In accordance with the System Justification theory, there is reason to assume a connection between the system justification and social cohesion, but no empirical verification has been carried out. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>The study examined the relationship between the system justification and different levels of social cohesion. The study used the system justification scale and measurements of variables of interpersonal trust, density of social relationships, openness, social participation, institutional trust and legitimacy of institutions. The presence and nature of the relationship was verified through correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). <br><strong>Participants. </strong>819 Russians (52% of women) from 18 to 83 years old (<em>M</em> = 37,7; <em>SD</em> = 10,7). <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Russian-language versions of the scales of system justification by J. Jost. G. Bottoni's model of social cohesion. <br><strong>Results. </strong>The model of social cohesion was successfully tested on a Russian sample, but macro-level variables cannot be separated and do not allow the formation of the second factor of the model by type of measurement (objective and subjective). System justification significantly predicts all levels of social cohesion. The regression model showed that the more people tend to justify the system, the more they trust others, get involved in various group interactions and positively evaluate the institutional activities. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>The system justification significantly positively predicts social cohesion at the micro, meso and macro levels.</p>

Процедурная справедливость как фактор отношения к политической системе: роль экономического положения страны

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between perceived procedural justice in the political sphere, the perceived economic situation of the country, and attitudes toward the political system in Russia. <br><strong>Background</strong>. Previous research has shown that the perceived procedural justice of politicians and political institutions improve attitudes toward them, satisfaction with their actions, and agreement with their decisions. Furthermore, adherence to procedural justice norms can offset the negative impact of economic problems. However, these studies have several limitations related to the sample and the method, which were taken into account in our study. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>In the study, 8520 Russian citizens participated (<em>N</em><sub>1 </sub>= 3193, <em>N</em><sub>2 </sub>= 3237, <em>N</em><sub>3 </sub>= 2090). <br><strong>Study design. </strong>Respondents participated in an online survey conducted on the YandexToloka platform. The study involved three measurements: the first measurement took place in September 2022, and the second and third measurements were conducted in November 2022. <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Respondents filled out questionnaires to measure perceived procedural justice in politics, perceived economic situation, and attitude toward the Russian political system (social system justification, trust in federal political institutions, and emotion toward the political system). <br><strong>Results. </strong>The study showed that both perceived procedural justice and the perceived economic situation of the country were positively related to the attitude toward the Russian political system. However, assessments of economic situation and procedural justice interacted with each other: the lower respondents rated the country's economic situation, the stronger the relationship between perceived procedural justice and attitude toward the political system. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>Russians' ability to influence political decisions, the observance of equal rights, and respectful treatment by government representatives support the political system within which these occur. This becomes especially important during times when the country faces economic difficulties.</p>

Relationship Between Relative Deprivation and Well-Being of Women: Role of Gender System Justification

Subjective well-being is defined as individuals' evaluations of their happiness. Exposure to discrimination is a factor that negatively affects one's subjective well-being. Recent research indicated that women who are exposed to gender discrimination are affected negatively in terms of their subjective well-being. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between women's perception of gender-based relative deprivation and their subjective well-being and the mediator role of the tendency to justify the gender system in this relationship. The sample consisted of 328 voluntary female participants. The participants completed questionnaires, including Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Gender System Justification Scale, Relative Deprivation Scale, and Demographic Information Form. Obtained results indicated that as the gender-based relative deprivation increased, the level of subjective well-being decreased (B = -0.10, SE = 0.04). Moreover, the gender system justification mediated the relationship between gender-based relative deprivation and women's subjective well-being levels [lower limit (LL) CI: -0.1956, upper limit (UL) CI: -0.0209]. In conclusion, women who believe that they are subjected to gender-based discrimination may question the existing gender system in the society and in this framework, their subjective well-being levels are likely to decrease.

Heterosexist system justification: Identity and ideology explain variability in sexual minorities’ opposition to homophobia and support for LGBTQ+ rights

We hypothesized that because politically conservative ideology legitimizes the status quo—including heteronormative institutions and arrangements—it should be negatively associated with in-group identification, opposition to homophobia, and support for LGBTQ+ rights among sexual minorities. These hypotheses, which were derived from system justification theory, were assessed in large US samples of sexual minority respondents. In Study 1 (N = 4,530) and Study 2 (N = 1,107), we observed that more conservative sexual minorities expressed weaker sexual identification, and, relatedly, less support for same-sex marriage and adoption and other rights and privileges, as well as less participation in collective action in favor of LGBTQ+ rights. In Study 3 (N = 446), heterosexist system justification was associated with decreased sexual identification and support for LGBTQ+ rights. In all studies, identity and ideology accounted for unique variance in support for vs. opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. Implications for the politics of sexual identity and collective action among disadvantaged groups are discussed.

System Justification in the Social Explanation of the Violence against Minoritized Groups

System Justification in the Social Explanation of the Violence against Minoritized Groups

Maximizing Mining Operations: Unlocking the Crucial Role of Intelligent Fleet Management Systems in Surface Mining’s Value Chain

On the one side, the operational expenses of mining enterprises are showing an upward trend; and on the other side, conventional mining fleet management systems (FMSs) are falling short in addressing the high-dimensionality, stochasticity, and autonomy needed in increasingly complex operations. These major drivers for change have convinced researchers to search for alternatives including artificial-intelligence-enabled algorithms recommended by Mining 4.0. The present study endeavors to scrutinize this transition from a business management point of view. In other words, a literature review is carried out to gain insight into the evolutionary trajectory of mining FMSs and the need for intelligent algorithms. Afterward, a holistic supply chain layout and then a detailed value chain diagram are depicted to meticulously inspect the effect of technological advancements on FMSs and subsequently the profit margin. The proposed value-chain diagram is advantageous in explaining the economic justification of such intelligent systems, illustratively, for shareholders in the industry. Moreover, it will show new research directions for mining scholars.

Justification of the air distribution system of a down-the-hole hammer with an efficient operating cycle

One method for conserving energy in the mining industry and ensuring the required pressure of compressed air in underground mining networks is to decrease the specific energy carrier consumption, particularly in the case of down-the-hole hammers. The objective of this study is to substantiate the air distribution system of an air hammer, aimed at reducing the specific consumption of compressed air. We propose a system consisting of two chambers with a constant supply of compressed air, two controllable chambers, two elastic valves on the hammer, and a valve for cutting off the supply of compressed air to the forward stroke chamber, which is controlled by the hammer’s position. This proposed configuration was employed to create two different designs for the air hammer. The operational cycle of the designed device has been numerically examined using SimulationX software and validated through experimental testing on a laboratory bench. Our calculations reveal that the suggested air distribution system, featuring controlled inlet to the backward stroke chamber, successfully achieves the stated objective. In comparison to the standard M29T hammer with nearly identical dimensions, striking power, and compressed air consumption for cleaning the borehole, the designed hammer exhibits a 53% reduction in specific energy consumption, and its electrical power usage for compressed air supply is halved. These design specifications align with both experimental results and data derived from the existing literature, confirming the accuracy of our calculation.

When small acts are multiplied: Assessing everyday social justice behaviors

Using the Act Frequency Approach, we drew on majority White, U.S. samples to create a new measure of social justice behavior and examine its correlates. Although existing measures of social justice behavior focus on engagement in collective action, participants in Study 1 (n = 137) were encouraged to nominate and evaluate a broad set of acts relevant to their daily lives. The final 17-item Everyday Social Justice Behavior (ESJB) scale reflects a range of global and domain-specific actions rated as prototypical by both 53 undergraduate novices and 20 social justice experts in Study 2. Participants in studies 3 (n = 388) and 4 (n = 613) were then asked to rate how frequently they perform the items. As expected, women and sexual minorities, and those with left political orientation, engaged in more everyday social justice behavior. Moreover, those reporting more everyday social justice behavior also scored higher in structural attributions of social change, intersectional awareness, ratings of the importance of and confidence in taking action, openness to experience, extraversion, and empathy, while being lower in social dominance orientation, system justification, and the need for cognitive closure. In addition, those high in ESJB also reported more progressive activist engagement and intentions. Relations with activism were modest, suggesting social justice activism and ESJB are somewhat distinct forms of social justice behavior. This measure should be of broader use in similar (majority White) samples; the measure development process can also be used to assess such behaviors in other samples and contexts.

Racial ideology, system justification, and just world belief in African Americans.

Just world belief and system justification have previously been proposed to explain actions and beliefs of disadvantaged groups, but rarely together and never simultaneously in participants of color. A necessary expansion of work in this area is among African-American participants with differing views of race and how those views influence justice perceptions. Racial ideologies, used in African-American racial identity research, were studied as possible predictors of belief in a just world and system justification scores. The four racial ideologies examined in this study are assimilationist, humanist, nationalist, and oppressed minority. The current study examines belief in a just world and system justification as predicted by racial ideology. Participants (n = 261) responded to an online survey containing racial ideology items from the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), the General and Personal Just World Scales, and the General System Justification Survey. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted, finding that nationalist ideology significantly predicted system justification and general just world belief.

Rising and falling on the social ladder: The bidimensional social mobility beliefs scale.

Recent works in the field of Social Psychology have shown the importance of studying subjective social mobility from different perspectives. In the literature about subjective societal mobility, most of the research is focused on the mobility-immobility framing. However, several authors suggested studying social mobility beliefs effects differentiating according to mobility's trajectory, that is, upward (i.e., improving status over time) and downward (i.e., getting worse in status over time). The present research was motivated by the lack of measures that discriminate between beliefs in upward and downward societal mobility. Across two studies using different samples of the Spanish adult population, we examined both dimensions of social mobility beliefs and tested their predictive validity on other related constructs. In Study 1 (N = 164), with an EFA, we corroborated the independence between the two types of mobility. The internal structure was confirmed by a CFA in Study 2 (N = 400). Furthermore, it was shown that upward and downward mobility beliefs are differently related to other related constructs. The results from Studies 1-2 showed good convergent validity. In all correlations with the different constructs (attitudes towards inequality, meritocratic beliefs, justification of the economic system, and status anxiety) we found opposite direction effects for both types of societal mobility (upward and downward). The development of this new instrument can help to deepen our understanding of the psychosocial consequences of subjective social mobility, as well as to differentiate two processes that may have different consequences.

Longitudinal relations between perceived economic inequality and prosocial behavior among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of system justification

Despite a growing awareness of the detrimental effects of economic inequality, less is known about whether adolescents’ perception of economic inequality relates to their long-term development. This study examined the relations between perceived economic inequality, system justification, and prosocial behavior in a three-wave longitudinal study among 1,525 Chinese adolescents (50.1% boys; Mage at Wave 1 = 12.47 years, SD = 0.69). Results from cross-lagged panel models revealed that perceived economic inequality predicted less prosocial behavior, and system justification mediated this association. System justification also predicted lower perceived economic inequality longitudinally. These findings enrich our understanding of the macro-level economic factors as predictors of prosocial behavior and highlight the negative effects of economic inequality on adolescents’ social development.

A critical feminist system justification analysis of climate obstructionism on the part of conservative white men

AbstractIn the U.S. and other Western nations, one demographic group is most likely to downplay anthropogenic climate change and its consequences, to embrace the “discourse of delay,” and to resist pro‐environmental policies: conservative white men. In this article, we bring together critical, feminist perspectives on masculinity and environmental dominance and social psychological insights from system justification theory to hypothesize that identity‐protective cognition, material interests, and ideological legitimation processes combine and reinforce one another to motivate obstructionism when it comes to taking climate action. Our hope is that by integrating critical and empirical approaches to social science—and illuminating individual and group psychological factors that are embedded in specific historical and political settings—it will be possible to increase solidarity among environmental scholars and activists and forge a shared vision of climate justice across disciplines.

On the Credibility of Religion

This paper proposes two criteria for the credibility of religion, where “religion” is understood as a belief system. We distinguish between scientific (SBS) and religious belief systems (RBS) and focus on them in this study, although we do not rule out others like metaphysical ones or world views. The criteria consist of two theses and two norms. The two theses defend the proposal that for every particular belief system there is an upper bound and a lower bound for the credibility of it. The upper bound (lower bound) is a threshold beyond (below) which a rational justification of this belief system is impossible. Norm 1 says that it should not be required that the degree of credibility of an RBS must be higher than that of any SBS, nor notably higher than the upper bound of some SBS. Norm 2 says that if it is required that the level required for the credibility of an SBS must be higher than or equal to the lower bound of it, then this must also be required for an RBS otherwise there are too few or weak reasons for its credibility. Unless both norms are fulfilled, a rational justification of the respective belief system is impossible. The norms are understood as methodological norms of the respective belief system.

Belief in a Just World as a Basis for Biased System Attitudes and Their Palliative Effect: The Context Matters

Although system-justifying beliefs can have a palliative effect on citizens, the underlying mechanisms and contextual moderators of this association are relatively unknown. Because system threats are likely to strengthen a defensive bolstering of the system, we assumed that the motivational factors behind system justification exert a stronger palliative effect in more dysfunctional systems. Specifically, we hypothesized that belief in a just world (BJW) would enhance well-being, particularly in countries with low system performance. Using nationally representative data from 29 countries ( N = 49,519), multilevel analyses revealed indirect effects of BJW on subjective well-being via attitudes toward the system. Notably, these effects were stronger in countries with lower system performance. Our findings suggest that dysfunctional political-institutional systems can catalyze the bias of BJW in citizens’ perception of system performance, thus influencing subjective well-being. This highlights the importance of considering the social context when examining the palliative and system-justifying functions of BJW.

Regional startup ecosystems of Ukraine

The startup ecosystem of each country contains separate elements and reflects the effectiveness of their interaction, which is also reflected in regional ecosystems. The aim of the research is to identify and rank the start-up ecosystems of the regions of Ukraine according to various indicators, distinguish the differences between the ecosystems and determine the main directions of their development, expansion within a separate region. In the research multifactorial comparative analysis in four stages has been used, such as: justification of the indicator system, normalization of the matrix of standardized coefficients, squaring of all elements of the matrix of standardized coefficients and placement of the obtained rating values by rank. The highest level is charac­terized by a sufficient number of supporting elements that help startups find financing options and accelerate market entry processes; the high level has a dynamic ecosystem that helps early-stage startups find support and funding programs; the medium level has a developing ecosystem, and the existing business structure contributes to the development of the startup movement in the region; the low level has the potential for further development and additional initiatives by local authorities and business structures. According to the rating, the highest level was determined in Kyiv region, the high level is found in Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv regions, the average level is found in Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions. Other regions belong to the lower and the lowest levels, which emphasize the promising development of startup ecosystems in the regions. Regions with the highest level can focus on maintaining and expanding their existing ecosystem by providing additional support and funding for startups; with high indicators they can focus on the further development of its dynamic ecosystem, creating more clusters and events to attract startups and investors; medium level regions can consentrate on increasing the number of supporting elements to make it easier for startups to find funding and scale; with a low level regions can focus on conducting competitions, hackathons, involving the IT community for the development of the startup community.

Defending the Status Quo: Prevalence of System Justification Attitudes in the Radio Industry

ABSTRACT This study employs system justification theory to investigate how current and former radio broadcasting professionals perceive the equity and fairness of the industry’s homophilous hiring and employment practices. Results of a survey (N = 143) of radio professionals found men view current employment patterns within the radio industry to be equitable, while women found radio hiring practices to be discriminatory. White men were more likely than other groups to blame women for their own lack of representation, but perceived the underrepresentation of people of color as a systemic problem. Higher levels of system justification were positively related to higher levels of stereotyping.

Marital System Justification Scale: Scale Development, Validity and Reliability Study

The aim of this study is to develop a measurement tool for the legitimation of marriage, which can be considered as an institution. In the study conducted to determine how legitimate and fair the institution of marriage is perceived and with what motivations marriage is legitimized, the Marriage System Legitimization Scale, İnönü Marriage Attitude Scale and Demographic Information Form were applied to the participants. A total of 326 university students, 249 females (76.4%) and 77 males (23.6%) aged between 17 and 59, participated in the study. Of the participants, 138 (42.3%) stated that they had a romantic relationship, and 188 (57.7) stated that they were not. The duration of relationship ranged from 1 to 360 months (Mean = 20.61; S = 40.20). The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the scale exhibited a single factor structure and the results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that this single factor and this structure consisting of 21 items had acceptable values. The Cronbach alpha internal consistency reliability coefficient of the scale is .94. The factor loads of the items also vary between .60 and .79. The two-half test reliability coefficient of the scale was found to be .88, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be .90. All findings revealed that the Marriage System Justification Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to be used in the literature. Keywords: Marriage, system justification theory, marital system justification, scale development, validity, reliability