scholarly journals Why Perpetrators and Innocent Victims are Sometimes Harshly judged? Belief in a Just World and Other Situational Determinants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Mikani ◽  
Parisa Rafiee
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Just World ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Maintenance Strategies ◽  
Specific Strategy ◽  
Situational Cues ◽  
Victim Derogation ◽  
Defensive Mechanisms

Although Belief in a Just World (BJW) has positive influences on well-being, the attempts to maintain these beliefs may give rise to awry judgments in contexts of harm. In a scenario-based study, we examined the associations of general belief in a just world (GBJW) with BJW maintenance strategies, including victim blaming, victim derogation, perpetrator demonization, and compensation. We hypothesized that because these harsh judgments about victims and offenders along with compensation are used as defensive mechanisms against threats to BJW, using a specific strategy depends on the availability of each strategy and the level of a person’s GBJW. Thus, we also tested whether GBJW and situational cues for victim’s respectability and perpetrator’s evilness have interaction effects on various strategies to defend BJW. By manipulating the characteristics of the victim (professor vs. car dealer) and offender (with evilness cues vs. without evilness cues) in a crime scenario, the interaction effects on judgments about victims and perpetrators as well as compensation were investigated. The results indicated that while GBJW interacted with victim’s respectability and perpetrator’s evilness to predict demonization and derogation, there was no three-way interaction and two-way interaction effects between victim’s respectability and perpetrator’s evilness on the four BJW-maintenance strategies. Taken together, our findings highlight the nuanced effects of just world beliefs on how people react to and make sense of violent incidents.

scholarly journals Less Illusion of a Just World in People with Formally Diagnosed Autism and Higher Autistic Traits

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Bertrams
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Diagnosis ◽  
Just World ◽  
External Locus ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Autistic People

AbstractPeople differ in how strongly they believe that, in general, one gets what (s)he deserves (i.e., individual differences in the general belief in a just world). In this study (N = 588; n = 60 with a formal autism diagnosis), whether or not autistic people and those with high autistic traits have a relatively low general belief in a just world is examined. The results revealed the expected relationship between autism/higher autistic traits and a lower general belief in a just world. In a subsample (n = 388), personal belief in a just world, external locus of control, and self-deception mediated this relationship. These findings are discussed in terms of autistic strengths (less biased information processing) and problems (lowered well-being).

scholarly journals Belief in a Just World as a Correlate of Psychological Well-being

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 26-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.B. Astanina
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Just World ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Belief In God ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Different Levels

Article presents research of relationship of Belief in a Just World and Psychological well-being of adolescents. 212 adolescents aged from 13 to 18 years in schools and secondary specialized educational institutions of Voronezh were surveyed. Following methods were used for investigation of empirical constructs: “General Belief in a Just World Scale” (M. Schmitt, L. Montada, C. Dalbert), “General Belief in a Unjust World Scale” (J. Maes), “Belief in Immanent Justice Scale” (J. Maes), “Belief in Ultimate Justice Scale” (J. Maes), “5-Dimensional Belief in a Just Treatment Scale” (K. Stroebe), “Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale” (R. Tennart). Revealed that adolescents’ psychological well-being is positively correlated with General Belief in a Just World and its species: Belief in Immanent and Ultimate justice. It is also positively correlated with Belief in God, Nature, other people and Self-concept as sources of justice. We compared the ratio of Belief in a Just and an Unjust world in adolescents with different levels of psychological well-being. We found that psychologically advantaged adolescents’ Belief in an Unjust world is balanced by Belief in Ultimate justice; adolescents with low level of psychological well-being believe that the world is mostly unjust. This work was supported by grant RFH № 15-36-01233.

scholarly journals Belief in a Just World and Mental Well-being in Male Juvenile Offenders

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
N.B. Astanina
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Offenders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Just World ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Belief In God ◽  
Common Destiny ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
The Relationship

The study explores the characteristics of the relationship between the mental well-being and the belief in a just world among male juvenile offenders. 186 adolescents aged from 13 to 18 years (97 offenders and 89 law-abiding adolescents) were interviewed. Following methods were used for investigation of empirical constructs: “General Belief in a Just World Scale” (M. Schmitt, L. Montada, C. Dalbert), “General Belief in a Unjust World Scale” (J. Maes), “Belief in Immanent Justice Scale» (J. Maes)”, “General Belief in a Unjust World Scale Belief in Ultimate Justice Scale” (J. Maes), “5-Dimensional Belief in a Just Treatment Scale” (K. Stroebe), “Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale” (R. Tennart). Revealed that mental well-being of law-abiding adolescents is positively associated with only two sources of justice: belief in God – for common destiny and belief in self as the source of justice for personal and common destiny. Offenders’ mental well-being is accompanied by an extensive complex of positive relations with beliefs in general, immanent, ultimate justice and also by belief in a diversity of sources of justice (God, nature, other people, self and chance). The study also shown that offenders’ mental well-being is positively associated with belief in an unjust world.

Well-being in people living with HIV/AIDS in relation to belief in just world

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti B Duggi ◽  
Iranna S. Amashi ◽  
Shanmukh V. Kamble
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Satisfaction Level ◽  
Just World ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Women Living With Hiv ◽  
Personal Belief ◽  
World Hypothesis ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Aids

The just-world hypothesis is the assumption that a person's actions are inherently inclined to bring morally fair and fitting consequences to that person, to the end of all noble actions being eventually rewarded and all evil actions eventually punished. The present study is counted to find out the significance of the relationship of well-being of men and women living with HIV/AIDS with their personal and general belief in just world. A purposive sample of 100 male and 100 female people living with HIV/AIDS are selected for the study. The sample was selected for the study from Positive People Network, NGOs and ART centers. The sample was collected from Hubli-Dharwad Corporation and Gadag. Personal Belief in Just World Scale developed by Claudia Dalbert (1999); The General Belief in Just World Scale developed by Dalbert and Schmitt (1987); and Trait Well Being Inventory developed by Dalbert (1992) measures were used to test the hypotheses. Results of the present study revealed that, General belief and Personal belief of just world of men living with HIV/AIDS have positive correlation mood level and satisfaction level. Further, General belief and Personal belief of just world of men living with HIV/AIDS have also had positive and significant relationship with overall mood and satisfaction level. Contrary to this, General belief and Personal belief of just world women living with HIV/AIDS has no relation with mood level, but has relationship with satisfaction level and overall mood and satisfaction level of women living with HIV/AIDS.

scholarly journals Just world beliefs, personal success and beliefs in conspiracy theories

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Furnham
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Composite Measure ◽  
Just World Beliefs ◽  
Just World ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
The World ◽  
Personal Ideology ◽  
Personal Success

AbstractDo those who believe in conspiracy theories feel less happy and healthy than others? Do they believe the world is simply unjust? This study was concerned with how demographic factors, personal ratings of success, personal ideology (political and religious beliefs) and Just World Beliefs are related to Conspiracy Theories. In total, 406 participants completed two questionnaires: Just World scale (Rubin & Peplau, 1975) and Conspiracy Theories Inventory (Swami et al., 2010) and provided various personal details. The Just World Scale yielded two scores: Just and Unjust beliefs. Participants also reported on their health, happiness and success and a reliable composite measure of well-being was computed. A regression showed younger males, with Unjust World beliefs and politically right-wing views, were more likely to endorse Conspiracy Theories. The discussion revolved around explaining individual differences in accepting these theories. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Beliefs in a Just World, Subjective Well-Being and Attitudes Towards Refugees Among Refugee Workers

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya L. K. Khera ◽  
Annelie J. Harvey ◽  
Mitchell J. Callan
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Just World

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

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Valor-Segura ◽  
Francisca Expósito ◽  
Miguel Moya
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Ambivalent Sexism ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Just World Beliefs ◽  
Just World ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Male Friend

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.

CONTROL AND BELIEF IN THE JUST WORLD: WHAT'S GOOD ALSO CAN BE BAD

1982 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Feinberg ◽  
Amy Powell ◽  
Franklin G. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Environmental Control ◽  
Sense Of Control ◽  
Just World ◽  
Victim Derogation ◽  
World Hypothesis ◽  
The Relationship

The just world hypothesis provides an explanation for the finding that observers derogate victims. By admitting the appropriateness of a victim's fate., observers may develop a sense of control over the possibility of similar fates. Two experiments investigated the relationship between, the magnitude of motivation for control over the environment and tendency to derogate victims. In Experiment One, situational controllability and uncontrollability were manipulated within a learned helplessness procedure and derogation of a victimized stranger assessed. In Experiment Two, subjects completed the Need for Control and Belief in the Just World scales, measures of the motivation for environmental control and the tendency to derogate victims. The results indicate that motivation and need for control underlie victim derogation.

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