World Beliefs Research Articles

The Role of Revenge, Denial, and Terrorism Distress in Restoring Just World Beliefs: The Impact of the 2008 Mumbai Attacks on British and Indian Students

ABSTRACT Just world beliefs for students (N = 413) from India and the United Kingdom were measured. The participants then read a scenario about the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai. The participants were then assessed for terrorism distress and offered multiple strategies (revenge and denial) to restore their just world beliefs. The findings indicate that students resident in India along with those who hold strong just world beliefs felt more distress, held a greater desire for revenge, and demonstrated more denial than the British students and those who had weak beliefs in a just world. These results indicate the important role just world beliefs play in responding to the threat created by mass casualty terrorist attacks. The implications for just world theory are also discussed.

An experimental investigation of the role of perceived justice in acute pain

Emerging research suggests that perceiving injustice can compound the suffering of chronic pain, while perceiving justice serves as a positive psychological resource in this context. However, little more is currently known about the function of justice beliefs, particularly in the context of acute pain. The present study undertook this investigation, using cold pressor methodology to investigate whether trusting in the fairness of the world would help someone to cope with short-term pain. Sixty-five men and 65 women completed measures of personal and general just world beliefs and state anxiety before pain induction and measures of the intensity and quality of pain, in addition to state anxiety following pain induction. The personal and general beliefs in a just world were negatively correlated with pre-task anxiety but not with measures of pain induction (threshold, tolerance and sensitivity) or measures of post-task pain. Gender had a moderating role, whereby men with a stronger general just world belief reported lower post-task state anxiety and men who had a stronger personal just world belief reported lower pain intensity. However, unexpectedly, women with a stronger personal just world belief reported higher pain intensity. The observed gender differences may be attributed to gender variations in cognitive appraisals of the task. Overall, while perceived injustice may be undesirable and a potential target for intervention, perceived justice is not necessarily a desired cognition in pain. Research is needed to replicate and extend this emerging research.

Rape Victims' Attitudes to Rape Myth Acceptance

The present study examined victims' attitudes to rape and rape-reporting behaviour. There were 36 Rape Victims, and approximately half reported their rape to the police (Rape Victim – Report) and half did not report their rape to the police (Rape Victim – Not Report). There were 42 Crime Victims, and approximately half reported the crime to the police (Crime Victim – Report) and half did not (Crime Victim – Not Report). Participants filled out a questionnaire which consisted of six scales: Rape Myth Acceptance, Just World Beliefs, Attitudes towards the Police, Locus of Control, the Pro-Victim scale and the Anti-Rapist scale. The results showed that Rape Victims-Not Report had significantly higher levels of Rape Myth Acceptance and Internal Locus of Control than Rape Victims-Report. However, all rape victims reported similar levels of Just World Beliefs and Attitudes towards the Police. Rape Myth Acceptance was significantly related to Just World Beliefs for crime victims but not for rape victims. Finally, crime victims had higher levels of Internal Locus of Control than rape victims.

Research on the relationship between belief in a just world and prosocial tendencies of college students

Objective To examine the relationship between belief in a just world of college students and prosocial tendencies. Methods 400 college students were examined by using the belief in a just of Chinese versions (BJW)and the prosocial tendencies scales. Results ①There was a marginally significant difference on college student's general belief in a just world and personal belief in a just world among different grades (F=3.90, F=3.05, P 0.05). The scores of those three groups on prosocial tendencies ((3.74±0.43), (3.57±0.42), (3.44±0.43)) and its sub-dimensions shows a decreasing trend from high to low.④Layer multivariate linear regression analysis showed that general belief in a just world were significant predictors of the prosocial tendencies(β=0.18, P<0.01). Conclusions The intensity of belief in a just world has a certain impact on the prosocial tendencies of college students. Key words: Belief in a just world; The prosocial tendencies; College students

Causal Attributions of Workplace Gender Equality, Just World Belief, and the Self/Other Distinction

We conducted 2 surveys in Istanbul, Turkey, to investigate the moderating effects of belief in a just world (BJW) on the links between perceived gender equality and causal attributions in the workplace with 2 samples of bank employees from varying hierarchical positions (M age = 30). Results from a unidimensional BJW scale (Dalbert &amp; Yamauchi, 1994) used in Study 1 (N = 136) showed a negative relationship between perceived gender equality and internal causal attributions only for high BJW scores. Results from a bidimensional scale measuring BJW for self and for others (Lipkus, Dalbert, &amp; Siegler, 1996) used in Study 2 (N = 168) replicated this pattern for BJW both for self and for others. However, only BJW for others, which was found to be linked to social discrimination indices, moderated the negative relationship between perceived gender equality and external attributions. These findings support the relevance of the bidimensional conception of BJW and the predictions related to causal attribution theory and the just world hypothesis.

Just World Beliefs, Expert Psychological Testimony, and Verdicts: A Mediational Model

This study assessed the role of expert testimony and just world beliefs (JWB) in decisions made in a sexually violent predator (SVP) trial. Three participant samples (student, juror, and community; total N = 534) completed items measuring JWB and watched a 1‐hour videotaped trial simulation that featured a psychologist offering different types of expert testimony in a SVP hearing. After the opening statements and at the end of the trial presentation, participants made commitment decisions and rated their confidence in their decision. They also rated the expert testimony on influence, credibility, scientificness, and confidence. Results indicated that favorable attitudes toward the expert mediated the relationship between JWB and commitment decisions. This relationship did not differ depending on type of expert testimony (clinical vs. actuarial) proffered. The legal and policy implications of the findings are discussed.

Just world maintenance patterns among intrinsically and extrinsically religious individuals

The present study investigated the influence of religiosity on just world maintenance strategies. We expected that extrinsic religiosity would relate to general endorsement of just world strategies while intrinsic religiosity would correlate positively to the “benevolent” strategies and negatively to negative strategies. Following a vignette that manipulated just world threat, participants completed measures of victim blaming, victim derogation, benefit finding, restitution and perpetrator demonizing. While extrinsic religiosity was positively correlated to overall strategy use, intrinsic religiosity was positively correlated with benefit finding and restitution but negatively correlated with perpetrator demonization. The results suggest that intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity influence just world beliefs differently, providing an explanation for the discrepancies among past findings in just world and religiosity research.

Predicting Right-Wing Authoritarianism via Personality and Dangerous World Beliefs: Direct, Indirect, and Interactive Effects

ABSTRACT In an Italian sample (N = 483, 78.23% women, mean age = 27.61 years old), we used structural equation modeling with latent variables and interactions to analyze the direct, indirect, and interactive effects exerted on right-wing authoritarianism by the Big Five factors of personality and by dangerous world beliefs. Openness, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness exerted direct effects on right-wing authoritarianism; the first two relationships were partially mediated by dangerous world beliefs. Most importantly, the relationship between dangerous world beliefs and right-wing authoritarianism was moderated by Openness: dangerous world beliefs significantly influenced right-wing authoritarianism solely for participants high in Openness. Limitations and possible developments of this research are discussed.

Mimicry and just world beliefs: Mimicking makes men view the world as more personally just

People's just world beliefs are related to how they feel and behave towards others: the stronger people hold beliefs that the world treats them fairly, the more they feel and act pro-socially towards others. It is conceivable, therefore, that pro-social feelings and behaviours towards others can strengthen people's personal belief in a just world, especially when people expect these positive feelings to be returned. Because mimicry enhances pro-social feelings towards others, we argue that mimicry may strengthen peoples' personal just world beliefs via positive feelings for the mimicked person and the expectation that these positive feelings are returned. Moreover, we expect these effects to be more pronounced for men because men have stronger reciprocity beliefs than women. The results of three studies supported this line of reasoning, showing that mimicry made men believe more strongly that the world is personally just to them. Further support for our line of reasoning was obtained by positive feelings for the (non)mimicked person (Study 2) and reciprocity beliefs (Study 3) mediating the effects. Taken together, the findings suggest that mimicry makes men view the world as more just.

Belief in a just world, generalised self-efficacy and stigma may contribute to unsafe sexual intentions via a reduced perception of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS amongst young people in Ghana

Complacency about one's HIV risk status may reduce the intention to practise safe sex. It was hypothesised that belief in a just world and stigmatising attitudes may contribute to complacency and thereby have a negative impact on safe sex intention. A sample of 238 young people in Ghana, ranging in age from 14 to 22, completed the Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale and the Belief in a Just World Scales for Self and Other, together with self-report measures of stigmatising attitudes, perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and intentions to practise safe sex. Mediation analysis supported the hypothesis that stigma and just world beliefs may have a negative impact on safe sex intention that is mediated by a reduced perception of vulnerability. It was also found that generalised self-efficacy beliefs had a similar mediated impact. Each of the three factors had a mediated impact that was relatively independent of the other two factors. In addition, stigma had a negative direct (unmediated) effect on safe sex intention (i.e., more stigma was associated with reduced safe sex intention); but generalised self-efficacy beliefs had a positive direct effect (i.e., greater belief was associated with increased safe sex intention). The study replicates some previous research about stigma, and provides new evidence about the role of just world and generalised self-efficacy beliefs. Implications for public health programmes are discussed.

Religious pluralism in Iran

This article spells out the potential contributions to research about religious pluralism that stem from different perspectives about globalization. The approach challenges the conventional thesis of “the clash of civilizations,” which stresses the importance of challenges that have been raised by extremist and ignores publicly tolerated and moderate perceptions of Islam especially in Iran that have emerged with globalization. When the world of Islam is imagined as a world of fundamentalism and terror, there is no choice except for “the clash of civilizations.” The question examined here is: does the world of Islam – in this case Iran – really take into account fundamentalism as prior discourse? The findings show that despite the many forces in the world beliefs, trends, and attempts to highlight the thesis of “the clash of civilizations,” the people of the world (in this research, high-school students in Tehran, the capital of Iran) mostly recognize the diversity and plurality of other religions and beli...

Just world beliefs, causal beliefs, and acquaintance: Associations with stigma toward eating disorders and obesity

The current study investigated the relationship between just world beliefs and stigmatizing attitudes toward eating disorders and obesity. Further, the associations between stigma and causal beliefs, and between stigma and acquaintance with these conditions, were examined. Participants ( n = 447) read four vignettes describing an individual with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or obesity. After each vignette, participants completed questionnaires assessing stigmatizing attitudes, just world beliefs, causal beliefs, and acquaintance with the condition depicted in the vignette. Stronger just world beliefs were associated with greater stigma toward all three eating disorders, as well as obesity ( rs ranging from −.11 to −.18). More stigmatizing attitudes were associated with greater attribution of individual responsibility for the development of the disorder. However, participants with personal experience or who knew someone with the depicted problem did not have lower stigma scores than those who did not. The current study suggests that justification ideologies such as just world beliefs and controllability beliefs may underlie the stigmatization of eating disorders and obesity. These findings provide support for stigma reduction efforts aimed at targeting justification ideologies and altering causal beliefs.

Examining the role of trauma, personality, and meaning in young prolonged grievers

Younger spouses or partners have been understudied in the prolonged grief literature. The purpose of this study was to determine rates of prolonged grief in young spouses or partners and the associations between prolonged grief and personality styles (specifically, narcissistic, histrionic, and obsessive), trauma history, and the perceived meaning of the loss in the young conjugally bereaved. Participants between 20 and 50 years old who lost a spouse/partner to cancer 6 months-3 years prior to the study completed the following measures during one time point (via phone or in person interviews): Prolonged Grief-13, traumatic life events questionnaire, Millon clinical multiaxial inventory-III, and grief meaning reconstruction inventory. Fifty-six spouses and partners (51.8% women) completed the interviews (mean age: 44.54 ± 4.20 years). The participants (49.1%) reported elevated rates of prolonged grief and 12.3% of the participants were diagnosed with prolonged grief with the recently published diagnostic algorithm. Bivariate analyses demonstrated an association between prolonged grief and negative meaning of the loss (r = 0.73; p < 0.01) and the frequency of the traumatic events (r = 0.23; p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that negative meaning of the loss was the only significant predictor of prolonged grief (Beta = 0.71; p = 0.0001). Elevated levels of prolonged grief were found in this population, suggesting a need for further research into young spousal grief. Young bereaved spouses may lack flexibility in reconstructing their view of the world as the death may invalidate their previously held world beliefs.

Criminal Punishment for Just Society: The Interaction of Just World Belief and Hope

본 연구는 형사처벌 판단자가 가지는 현재 사회가 얼마나 공정한가에 대한 ‘공정세상 믿음’과 공정한 사회가 반드시 이루어져야 된다는 ‘공정세상 기대’가 사회경제적 지위가 다른 범죄자의 처벌 판단에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 확인하기 위해 수행되었다. 연구의 참가자 106명은 Rubin과 Peplau(1975)의 공정세상 믿음 척도(the just world scale)와 이 척도에 근거해 발전시킨 ‘공정세상 기대’ 척도에 응답하였고, 사회경제적 지위가 높은 또는 낮은 범죄자가 상해치사를 저지른 시나리오를 읽고 처벌형량을 결정하였다. 형량판단에 대한 ‘공정세상 믿음과 기대’ 및 범죄의 전형성을 통제한 ‘사회경제적 지위’의 주효과와 이들 변인 간의 상호작용효과의 분석은 위계적 중다회귀분석 방법을 통해 이루어졌다. 연구 결과, 판단자의 ‘공정세상 믿음’의 정도와 범죄자의 사회경제적 지위의 차이는 형량의 크기에 유의미한 영향을 미치지 못했고, 판단자의 ‘공정세상 기대’만이 형량 판단에 유의미하게 정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 즉, 공정한 사회가 이루어져야 된다는 당위적 기대가 강한 사람일수록 범죄자의 사회경제적 지위에 상관없이 범죄자에게 더 가혹한 처벌을 요구하였다. 더 중요하게, 판단자의 ‘공정세상 믿음’과 ‘공정세상 기대’의 상호작용효과가 유의미하였다. 구체적으로, 현재 사회의 공정성에 대한 믿음이 강한 사람들은 공정한 사회에 대한 당위적 기대와 상관없이 범죄자에 대한 처벌의 강도가 유사했지만, 현재 사회에 대한 공정성 믿음이 약한 사람들은 공정한 사회에 대한 당위적 기대가 클수록 범죄자에게 더 가혹한 처벌을 내렸다. 본 연구 결과가 시사하는 사회적 판단과 형사처벌의 본질에 대한 학문적・실용적 의미 및 제언을 논의하였다.

Victim Blaming and Exoneration of the Perpetrator in Domestic Violence: The Role of Beliefs in a Just World and Ambivalent Sexism

The existence of domestic violence is closely linked to several ideological factors that include sexism and other beliefs about society in general, namely the belief in a just world. In this study, which involved 485 people of both sexes aged between 18 and 70 years, we analyzed the influence of these ideological variables of the perceivers and characteristics of the situation on judgments of a gender aggression--blaming the victim and exonerating the perpetrator. Results showed differences in the reactions of observers depending on the cause that triggered the aggression. Participants blamed the victim and exonerated the aggressor more when no cause of the aggression was mentioned than when a cause was mentioned (the woman wanted to separate, to see an old male friend, or simply to take a trip with her female friends). We also found clear effects of hostile sexism and just world beliefs on the dependent variables. Results showed that the influence of just world beliefs depended on the fact of mention or not a cause for the aggression.

Association between Just World Beliefs and Perceptions of Counterproductive Workplace Behaviors

320 adults rated 48 counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWBs) on a 9-point scale, from petty to serious offense, and also completed the Just World Beliefs scale. Ratings of the seriousness of the CWBs indicated considerable variability in perceptions, with theft and physical violence rated most strongly. A factor analysis yielded five interpretable factors. Older participants were more likely to rate as more serious all counterproductive workplace behaviors.

P02-268 - Simple and multiple relations between just and unjust word beliefs with psychological state

Introduction and objectivesThe main purpose of this research was to investigate the simple and multiple relations between just (general and global) and unjust word beliefs with psychological state.MethodTo this goal, 319 participants selected with the use of multi-stage random sampling method from the total population. Questionnaires which used in this research were: General Just Word Belief Scale, Unjust Word Belief Scale and SCL-90-R Scale were used. Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis method.ResultsWere used the results showed that there is negative significant relation between general just world belief with obsessive -compulsive (OC), interpersonal sensitivity (INT), depression (DEP), hostility (HOS) and paranoia (PAR), (p &lt; 0.05, p &lt; 0.01). Also results showed that there is negative significant relation between global just word belief with obsessive compulsive and depression, (p &lt; 0.05). Results also showed a positive significant relation between unjust word beliefs with paranoia (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsThe results of the stepwise regression analysis, showed that only depression has a significant power for prediction of general just word beliefs and score of additional items in SCL-90-R have significant power for prediction of global just word belief. Results of regression analysis showed that interpersonal sensitivity (INE) and paranoia have significant power for prediction of unjust word belief. Finally the results showed that only paranoia has a significant power for prediction of unjust word belief. The implications of the results have been discussed.

Testing a Model of Women's Personal Sense of Justice, Control, Well-Being, and Distress in the Context of Sexist Discrimination

Popular media convey notions that the United States is a postfeminist culture, where sexism is a thing of the past and gender equality prevails. Empirical data suggest otherwise. Further, links between group-based discrimination and psychological distress have been well documented (e.g., in bisexual and gay Latino men, African Americans, Asian Americans). Less understood are mediating factors explaining these links. We hypothesized a theory-based, integrated path model of women's distress and well-being as predicted by sexist events, highlighting intermediate effects of women's beliefs about justice and control in their lives. Specifically, we hypothesized that the more a woman experiences sexist events, the less fair and just her life seems; in turn, she feels less control of her life and reports heightened mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, less well-being). Cross-sectional data from 264 women indicated that sexist events had indirect effects on all three mental health variables, as mediated by just world beliefs and personal control, in sequence. However, direct (nonmediated) effects of sexist events on mental health remained. Both mean levels and patterns of links among variables were similar for African American and European American women. Regarding intervention, a key feminist goal is connecting personal distress with power and context. Women's health may be enhanced by increasing awareness of links found here, supporting development of attributions for distress extending beyond personal problems to societal conditions, skills to enhance feelings of personal control in other areas of their lives, and connections to the history of women's empowered social action.

Flies, Mochicas and burial practices: a case study from Huaca de la Luna, Peru

Study of a specific insect fauna from a pre-Columbian Moche grave, on the north coast of Peru, reveals burial practices, notably an estimation of the corpse’s exposure time prior to burial, and compares New and Old World beliefs concerning flies and death.

Sentido común y conflicto: impacto de las teorías legas sobre relaciones intergrupales

Teorías legas, son teorías del sentido común que las personas legas utilizan para explicar y predecir fenómenos del su entorno. Evidencia empírica sugiere que las teorías legas impactan las relaciones intergrupales, entre otras razones, por su capacidad para promover tolerancia o rechazo hacia las minorías sociales. Este artículo revisa algunos hallazgos sobre la relación entre tres teorías legas (la Ética Protestante del Trabajo, la Creencia en un Mundo Justo y el Esencialismo Psicológico) y actitudes hacia miembros de grupos minoritarios en diversos contextos sociales y culturales, señalando el papel de algunas variables que inciden en su interpretación (características del perceptor y del contexto social y cultural), y sus implicaciones teóricas. Al hacerlo, establece la relevancia del estudio de varias teorías legas en el contexto latinoamericano destacando los escasos, pero sustanciales hallazgos en algunos países latinoamericanos, y llama la atención sobre la necesidad de emprender más estudios en esta dirección