System Justification Research Articles

Does Power Difference Always Escalate to Power Struggle? Two Studies with Performance Implications

We integrated theories of inequality, stratification, status characteristics and system justification to investigate how informal power difference within a work group contributes to power struggle, which further compromise group performance in the organization. Past research has already demonstrated that high level of formal power difference is more likely to induce intragroup power struggle that further compromises group performance. We argued and observed that informal power difference has similar yet nuanced effects on intragroup power struggle and group performance. Using two independent samples of 147 work groups from multiple enterprises in China, we found that informal power difference is positively related to intragroup power struggles, and it has U-shaped relationship with group performance. Besides the inverted U-shaped (U-shaped) relationship between informal power difference and intragroup power struggle (group performance) is more likely to be salient when informal power distribution is illegitimate. Under these circumstances, there is a significant and negative indirect relationship between informal power difference and group performance via intragroup power struggle. However, when informal power distribution is legitimate, it is less likely that informal power difference and/or intragroup power struggle would affect group performance via intragroup power struggle. We concluded with discussion of the theoretical and practical implications for future research.

Mathematical justification of a compressible bifluid system with different pressure laws: a continuous approach

ABSTRACT This paper concerns the mathematical justification of a macroscopic Baer–Nunziato PDE bifluid system with a physical relaxation term that is linked to the two viscosities and the two pressure laws of the two compressible phases of the fluid which may be different. This is achieved using an homogenization approach in a periodic framework from a mesoscopic PDE description of two immiscible compressible viscous fluids with interfaces and no mass transfer. Our result extends the work in Bresch D, Hillairet M. [Note on the derivation of multi-component flow systems. Proc Am Math Soc. 2015;143:3429–3443] by allowing to consider different pressure laws for each component introducing an order parameter. This paper is complementary to the recent work [Bresch D, Burtea C, Lagoutière F. Mathematical justification of a compressible bi-fluid system with different pressure laws: a semi-discrete approach and numerical illustrations. Submitted 2021] which focuses on a semi-discretized approach and numerical illustrations. These two papers correspond to the extended versions of the document arXiv:2012.06497.

Environmental threat in France: Two studies testing the effect of threatening messages on system justification and environmental denial.

Climate change consequences are affecting our entire political, economic and social system. At a psychological level, it represents a large number of threatening events that we have to deal with. In the scientific literature, there is an active debate about the inconsistent effects of environmental threatening messages. One explanation for this inconsistency is that people respond differently to a threat, depending on some psychological dispositions. Indeed, studies on system justification theory showed that when people with a right political orientation are exposed to a threat to their system, they show a motivation to defend it. Although those tendencies have been linked to environmental denial, there is a lack of experimental studies testing the direct effect of environmental threat, especially in European context. We address this issue with two experiments in which we highlighted the environmental threat for one’s system (Study 1, N = 144) and for the continuity of one’s habits (Study 2, N = 148) in a French sample. The design was the same for both studies: three types of video-clips were presented to participants (i.e., control, neutral and threat) and we measured general system justification, environmental denial and political orientation. Our results showed no significant effect of our threat manipulation in both studies. However, they support that a right political orientation in France positively predicts system justification tendencies in study 1 and environmental denial in study 2. Findings are discussed through theoretical and methodological implications.

Explaining the Outgroup Favoritism Phenomenon from the Perspective of Social Identity Theory

There are various findings showing that low social status (disadvantaged/minority) groups display a positive attitude towards high-status groups in certain situations where power and status differences are involved. System Justification Theorists claim that these findings reflect the phenomenon of out-group favoritism, and criticize Social Identity Theory (SIT) for failing to satisfactorily explain this phenomenon. The main purpose of this literature review is to compile the theoretical explanations and research findings produced in the context of SIT regarding the positive attitude of the low-status groups towards the high-status groups and to discuss them based on the motivation to maintain a positive social identity. In the literature review, four theoretical explanations and various findings supporting these explanations were reached. Two of these explanations are that those who positively evaluate the high-status group may either be those who follow the individual mobility strategy and define themselves based on the high-status group, or those who follow the superordinate re-categorization strategy, which includes uniting the high-status group with their group under a common in-group identity. Another explanation is that the members who accept the power/competence of the out-group in the dimension determining the status are those who put forward the alternative dimensions in which their group is more successful and who give more value to these dimensions in order to create a more positive identity perception compared to the out-group. The fourth explanation points out that this tendency reflects a passive acceptance of social reality regarding the status system. There are findings in the literature supporting all four explanations. The explanations and findings point out that this tendency of low-status groups -even though it ensures the continuity of the existing system- does not conflict with the motivation of defending, protecting, and supporting ingroup identity.

The Gay Right: A Framework for Understanding Right Wing LGBT Organizations

ABSTRACT While there has been considerable interest in debates about right wing ideas in LGBT movements—military service, marriage, nationalism, white supremacy—there has been comparatively little attention to self-proclaimed right wing LGBT organizations, what I call the “gay right.” Social theory to date offers a fragmented set of theoretical tools to explain them, including homonationalism, post-gay identity, additive intersectionality, and systems justification theory. I propose a two axis framework to unify these theories and map wide ranging diversity within the gay right. This framework is based on both a review of existing theories, and also analysis of 38 gay right organizations in 14 countries. I illustrate the framework with an extended analysis of three gay-right organizations which share a context—the contemporary UK—but have very different politics.

Assessing social dominance orientation and system justification as psychological pathways from practicing meditation to tax evasion intentions and support for tax progressivity

AbstractRecent research showed that trait mindfulness might reduce tax evasion intentions and increase support for tax progressivity. The present study proposed that these beneficial effects of being mindful can be explained theoretically by different associations with inequality‐related constructs: social dominance orientation and system justification. Specifically, we tested our predictions by comparing meditation practitioners to nonpractitioners. Results from a path analysis revealed that relative to nonpractitioners, meditation practitioners were less likely to evade taxes primarily because of associations with lower social dominance orientation. Instead, they were more likely to support a progressive taxation primarily through associations with lower system justification. These results support the beneficial role of practicing meditation for tax compliance for people who meditate regularly. Moreover, these results may shed light about the psychological pathways through which practicing meditation brings about such beneficial social consequences.

Investigation of a radiative sky cooling module using phase change material as the energy storage

Radiative sky cooling (RSC) systems have enjoyed a privileged position in the research community due to generating cooling energy without consuming electricity using the open atmospheric window and infrared emission to the sky. However, the system's justification occurs when it reaches a temperature below the minimum 24-hour ambient temperature. This study utilizes phase change materials (PCM) as the energy storage of a hybrid daytime photovoltaic-thermal and nighttime RSC module and investigates the nocturnal cooling energy-saving potential of the system at different phase transition temperatures. After being validated by the experimental data in the literature, the simulated model was used for examining the exergy and energy efficiencies of PCMs with varying phase transition temperatures. The comparison of the exergy efficiency in the radiative sky cooling systems was performed for the first time, revealing the simultaneous effect of the temperature drop and cooling power to specify the optimal operative point of the system. Based on the climatic conditions of the simulation site, the PCM with phase transition temperatures of 18 °C revealed the peak and average exergy efficiencies of 42.8% and 33.7%, respectively. Likewise, the 23 °C PCM recorded the maximum cooling power of about 49.9 W/m2, and the 15 °C PCM achieved the highest temperature drop of about 14.8 °C.

Optimism and System Justification Tendency of University Students

The purpose of this research is to investigate if the system justification tendency and demographic variables (gender, old, socio-economic level, mother’s and father’s educational level, political view) predict the optimism and demographic variables predict the system justification tendency. The study group consisted of 434 students (282 female, 152 male) attending to different university in Ankara. System Justification Scale, Optimism Scale and the Personal Information Form were used to in the research. This research was questioned which variables predict the optimism and system justification with multiple linear regression analysis (stepwise method). Secondly, Point biserial correlation analysis was used to determine relationship between gender and optimism and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient to determine the relationship between the other variables. The result of these analysis indicated that political view, gender and system justification predicted the optimism; mother’s educational level and political view predicted system justification. At the same time, it was seen that female were more optimistic than male; political view approached to the right, the level of system justification and optimism increased. It has also been found that as the system justification tendency increased, the score of optimism increased.

Brexit and Trump: Which Theory of Social Stasis and Social Change Copes Best With the New Populism?

Why do voters seek to change the political landscape or to retain it? System justification theory (SJT) proposes that a separate system motive to preserve the existing order drives support for the status-quo, and that this motivation operates independently from personal and collective interests. But how does this explanation apply to recent populist shifts in the political order such as Brexit and the emergence of Donald Trump? While the system motive may seem useful in understanding why the usual progressives (Remain/Clinton voters) may want to stick with an established order, it seems insufficient to explain why the more conservative voters (Brexit/Trump voters) would want to upend the establishment. Thus, we compared SJT’s system motive explanation for the system attitudes of voters on both sides of the political divide to an alternative explanation drawn from the newer social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA). According to SIMSA, the difficulty in explaining the system attitudes of Brexit/Trump and Remain/Clinton voters from SJT’s system motive standpoint can be resolved by focusing instead on the collective interests that both camps seek to satisfy with their votes. We examined these explanations in two studies conducted soon after Brexit (N = 313) and Trump’s election (N = 289) in 2016, with results providing more support for SIMSA than for SJT.

Comprehensive justification of the Tyumen suite development system

The article objectives are developing hard-to-recover reservoirs and how to maximize oil production by formulating effective solutions for putting hard-to-recover reserves. US2is planned to be put into development in 2022 and contains 52% of the initial reserves of the entire field. US2reservoir complicated by low permeability 0.6 mD, saturated intervals are 9.8 m. The main method of developing hard-to-recover reserves in Western Siberia fields is horizontal drilling with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. As a matter of course, well designs were analyzed with different lengths of horizontal shaft and with a different number of hydraulic fracturing ports. Calculations of starting flow rates and production profiles for various well options for a typical well have been performed. The optimal solution was evaluated using the complex parameter NPV and cumulative production.

In Government We Trust: Implicit Political Trust and Regime Support in China

High levels of self-reported trust in government found in China has invited skepticism about the authenticity of survey results. To address this question, we examine implicit political trust, an automatic, intuitive orientation toward government. Using the Single-Target Implicit Association Test, we found that the Chinese public holds an implicit trust in government that is unrelated to self-reported, explicit trust. Whereas early political socialization processes, represented by education and urban residency, increase implicit trust they also decrease explicit trust suggesting that agents of socialization have differential effects. Furthermore, performance evaluations, income, and social desirability affect explicit trust but have no effect on implicit trust. Controlling for explicit trust, we found that implicit trust matters for understanding various types of regime support including system justification, the social credit system, and government’s ability to handle crises. Our results have important implications for understanding regime support in the world’s largest authoritarian country.

The COVID-19 vaccine patent: a right without rationale

Since the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, international efforts have intensified on vaccination schemes perceived as the only light at the end of the tunnel. Governments are working tirelessly to scale...

The cost of formation and problems of effective realization of labor potential in Ukraine

Purpose. To substantiate the theoretical and methodological provisions and develop practical recommendations for organizing and effective labour potential fulfilment. Methodology. The authors used a number of methods: comparative analysis (in performance analysis and sectoral structuring of labour potential), computational and constructive (in a comprehensive study on organizing and fulfilling labour potential), economic analysis (to assess the cost of labour potential in priority sectors), effectiveness evaluation of investment in human capital (to assess the return on labour costs), expert evaluation methods (in assessing the priority of sectoral components of the economy), tabular (to illustrate research results), abstract-logical (to draw the conclusions). Findings. The article studied an evolutionary way of organizing the labour potential category. The expedience has been proved to consider systematically the labour potential category under the modern conditions of social and economic development and with a combination of economic, technical-technological, intellectual, budget and resource-based, social and environmental components. The authors present their own vision of system justification for the labour potential category concept. The article studied the process of organizing labour potential in terms of the human capital theory and summarized the classification of investment types in its formation and development. A comprehensive analysis of the current condition was performed and key issues were identified with regard to labour potential in Ukraine. Negative tendencies of reduction of the number of employees in all types of economic activity and gradual reduction of the number of vacancies in many specialties and professions were revealed. The analysis of the intersectoral differentiation of the average monthly salary level in Ukraine for the period 20142021 was carried out. Trends have been established concerning training of specialists in the fields of knowledge, as well as the process of forming their potential. Originality. The authors proposed and tested the methodological approach to an estimation of conditions for organizing and fulfilling labour potential, including the following methodological techniques: calculation of investments in organizing labour potential; assessment of labour potential effectiveness in the sectoral structure of the economy, taking into account the payback period of costs associated with its development. The efficiency of the use of labor potential in the sectoral structure of the economy of Ukraine is assessed and directions for its increase are suggested. Practical value. Calculation of investments in the formation of labor potential for a number of priority sectors and areas of the economy of Ukraine is performed. It is established that in most areas of training and areas of activity there is a lag in the average wage from the annual (monthly) income, which could be obtained by implementing the alternative of investing not in the formation of human capital of future bachelors and masters, and in placement of funds in the banking system. The results can be used both in research and in the practice of management to manage the formation of labor potential in terms of sectors of the economy of Ukraine.

Envisioning Change: An Empirical Test of the Social Psychological Model of Utopian Thinking and Collective Action

This article provides the first empirical evidence of the theoretical model by Badaan et al. (2020) that proposes social psychological mechanisms whereby utopian thinking, which activates the social imagination, could enhance collective action intentions geared toward progressive social change. We anticipated that imagining better societies via utopian thinking would (a) increase social hope, (b) promote an abstract mindset that bridges psychological distance between the status quo in the present and the imagined, better future, (c) attenuate system justification motives, and (d) enhance social change-oriented collective action intentions. Using a structural equation modeling approach, our study provides preliminary support for some postulates of the theoretical model, paving the way for future research to further disentangle the psychological mechanisms by which utopian thinking influences collective action geared toward social change.

Secondary school categorization in Ghana: Silent plights of students and implications for equitable learning

ABSTRACT Undergirded by the social identity theory and system justification theory, this study explored the impact of secondary school categorization on students schooling experiences. We employed transcendental phenomenological qualitative approach to understand students’ experiences in different categories. We interviewed (n = 20) students from three different school categories (A, B and C). This study provides an initial understanding into students lived experiences and subtle negative consequences of secondary school categorization and its adverse effect on students’ academic self-esteem and equitable learning. The results showed that students’ experiences differ significantly based on the Category of school they are enrolled. This study accentuates the need for policymakers to reexamine and restructure secondary school categorization to ensure quality and equitable schooling and educational experiences for all students. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Organization of Work to Combat Fraud in a Financial Institution

The object of the research is the technology of remote banking and remote provision of financial services, the subject of the research of the article is methods and means of countering fraud. The author examines in detail the main reasons for successful fraudulent transactions, analyzes the main tools of counteraction, determines the indicators of the analysis of the effectiveness of counteraction, suggests ways to solve the problem. The article discusses in detail the algorithms of fraud analysis and determines the optimal model for analyzing fraudulent transactions. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the reasons for the growth of fraudulent transactions in the field of remote provision of financial services. The author defines the directions for improving the anti-fraud system, including proposals for finalizing the legislation of the payment sphere. The article also describes the main fraud schemes and current threats that contribute to the commission of fraudulent transactions. The main conclusions of the study are: 1. The only direction of countering fraudulent transactions in the financial sector is a fraud analysis system based on risk assessment of the client and his operations based on artificial intelligence models, indicators of fraudulent transactions and rules for their use, as well as risk-oriented authentication of the client and his operations. 2. Fraud analysis allows you to effectively protect the client not only from the actions of an attacker, but also from your own actions committed under the influence of social engineering methods. 3. Financial organizations do not use their rights to prevent fraudulent transactions that are committed by clients of a financial organization under the influence of social engineering methods. A special contribution of the author is proposals regarding the improvement of legislation in order to counter fraud. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the development and justification of an optimal anti-fraud system, taking into account existing fraud schemes, indicators of the effectiveness of anti-fraud.

Men’s Responses to Sexism: Justification, Self-Silencing, Confrontation, and Collective Action

Many researchers, in general, have approached the responses to sexism issues from women's perspectives and experiences. However, it is important to understand how men percieve sexism and their responses to sexism in the traditional gender system in order to achieve gender equality. Accordingly, the aim of the current paper is to review literature on men's reactions to sexism that women experience. In order to reach the aim, the following dimensions of Sakallı’s (2021) review article are used: (I) being unaware or having a low level of awareness of sexism and, accepting and justifying the existing gender system; (II) being aware of sexism and not taking action even if one has negative feelings about sexism; (III) being aware of sexism and responding sexist behavior and incidents individually; (IV) being aware of sexism and engaging in collective action. In addition, some social psychological variables that may be associated with men’s responses to sexism such as hostile and benevolent sexism, masculinity, manhood, masculine honor, stereotypes about feminist men, social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, system justification orientation and belief in a just world are examined. Possible future studies are suggested. Keywords men’s responses to sexism, sexism, masculinity, feminism

Sustaining Livelihoods or Saving Lives? Economic System Justification in the Time of COVID-19.

An ongoing debate in the United States relating to COVID-19 features the purported tension between containing the coronavirus to save lives or opening the economy to sustain livelihoods, with ethical overtones on both sides. Proponents of opening the economy argue that sustaining livelihoods should be prioritized over virus containment, with ethicists asking, “What about the risk to human life?” Defendants of restricting the spread of the virus endorse saving lives through virus containment but contend with the ethical concern “What about people’s livelihoods and individual freedoms?” A commonly held belief is that political ideology drives these differential preferences: liberals are more focused on saving lives, whereas conservatives favor sustaining livelihoods with no additional government intervention in the free-market economy. We examine these lay beliefs among US residents in four studies and find that economic system justification (ESJ), an ideology that defends the prevailing economic system when under threat, is a reliable psychological predictor beyond political ideology. Specifically, compared to those who scored low on ESJ, people who scored high on ESJ judged China as more justified in downplaying the spread of virus to protect its interest in the global free-market economy, supported in-person over online learning, viewed shelter in place as less desirable, and perceived the opening of the Texas economy as more legitimate. We also find that multiple psychological mechanisms might be at work—resistance to market interventions, perceived legitimacy of opening the economy, perceived seriousness of the health crisis, and violation of human rights.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10551-022-05091-4.

Ideology trumps self-interest: continued support for a political leader despite disappointing tax returns

ABSTRACT People presumably strive to maximize their own benefit whenever possible, so it is puzzling when they vote for leaders who may not have their best interest at heart. We tested whether support for a political leader is diminished when supporters learn they are financially disadvantaged by the leader’s policies. In a two-stage experiment (Time 1 n = 601, Time 2 n = 343) with pre-registered hypotheses, Trump voters predicted their expected tax refund (or payment), and then reported their tax outcome immediately after the filing deadline. Afterwards, we confronted half of the participants with the discrepancy between their actual and predicted tax outcome. Having lower-than-expected tax outcomes was not associated with reduced support for Trump either on its own, or in combination with being reminded of this outcome. However, it led participants who were dissatisfied with their tax outcome to downgrade the importance of lowering taxes, possibly in an effort to reduce dissonance and justify continued support for Trump. Subjective tax outcome satisfaction did predict Trump support, but was dwarfed in magnitude by other variables such as system justification and political orientation. Thus, people may find ways to rationalize information that goes against their self-interest into their partisan world-view.

Do people see the way things are as they should be? Measuring the individual differences in system justification

Do people see the way things are as they should be? Measuring the individual differences in system justification