Justice in the Eye of the Beholder: How Comparison Framing Affects the Perception of Global Inequality Through Social Emotions and Justice Sensitivity

Global inequality is one of today’s major challenges. How people mentally represent inequality is often determined by its comparative framing. In the present work, we seek to analyze whether putting the focus of a comparison on the disadvantaged or advantaged group affects legitimacy perceptions of and action intentions against global inequality. Results of two preliminary studies indicated that global inequality is perceived as less legitimate and action intentions are increased when the disadvantaged group is the grammatical subject of the comparison, but only when the size of the economic inequality is perceived to be large (vs. small). In addition, social emotions mediated the relationship between comparative framing and legitimacy perceptions. Building on these preliminary studies, we present a planned large-scale study in which we aim to replicate these effects and to additionally test whether the strength of individuals’ emotional responses to comparative framing is moderated by their justice sensitivity. We will discuss findings with regard to the role of how framing elicits certain mental representations of justice.

“Proof under reasonable doubt”: Ambiguity of the Norm Violation as Boundary Condition of Third-Party Punishment

In six studies, we consistently observed costly third-party punishment (3PP) to decrease under ambiguity of the norm violation. Our research suggests that, under ambiguity, some people experience concerns about punishing unfairly. Those with higher (vs. lower) other-oriented justice sensitivity (Observer JS) reduced 3PP more pronouncedly (in Studies 1-3 and 4b, but not replicated in Studies 4-5). Moreover, those who decided to resolve the ambiguity (hence, removing the risk of punishing unfairly) exceeded the 3PP observed under no ambiguity (Study 4). However, we did not consistently observe these concerns about punishing unfairly to affect 3PP (Study 4-5). We further considered whether people could use ambiguity as justification for remaining passive – thus, avoiding the costs of 3PP. We did not find conclusive evidence supporting this notion. Taken together, ambiguity entails a situational boundary of 3PP that sheds light on the prevalence of this behavior and, potentially, on its preceding decision-making.

The Role of Empathy in Justice Sensitivity

What role does empathy play in moral decision-making? The present study examined the relationship between several empathy measures and empathy's role in a person's justice sensitivity.

The Role of Empathy in Justice Sensitivity

What role does empathy play in moral decision-making? The present study examined the relationship between several empathy measures and empathy's role in a person's justice sensitivity.

Sustainable Information Security Behavior Management: An Empirical Approach for the Causes of Employees’ Voice Behavior

As organizations’ interest in information resources expands, their investments in information security (IS), such as the introduction of IS policies and new technologies, are also expanding. Nevertheless, IS incidents and threats within the organization have not decreased. This study aims to protect organizations’ information assets by maintaining the level of continuous IS behavior of the organization insiders. Moreover, this study suggests a method to induce continuous security behavior of individuals by confirming the relationship between IS-related voice behavior and IS-related organizational justice, which is an action concept that provides continuous opinions to achieve security goals. This study derives research models and hypotheses through previous studies and tests hypotheses through structural equation modeling. The target subjects are members of the organization who introduced the IS policy. A total of 325 samples were secured through the questionnaire method, and hypotheses were verified. Results reveal that voice behavior related to IS is negatively influenced by work impediment and positively influenced by organizational identification. In addition, procedural and information justice that influence prior actions related to IS affect the cause of personal security behavior (work impediment and organizational identification). Additionally, justice sensitivity adjusted the impact relationship between IS-related organizational justice and the cause of security behavior. The study presents the importance of voice behavior in maintaining the level of IS within the organization continuously. Moreover, it has practical implications in that efforts to improve organizational justice and voice behaviors vary according to the level of individual justice sensitivity.

Longitudinal associations between justice sensitivity, nonsuicidal self-injury, substance use, and victimization by peers

Justice sensitivity (JS), the tendency to perceive and negatively respond to alleged injustice, has been associated with a range of internalizing and externalizing problems and peer victimization; however, it remains unclear if it has an association with self-victimization. Participants (N = 769) reported on their JS longitudinally at 9–19 (T1), 11–21 (T2), and 14–22 years of age (T3). They further reported on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and illegal substance use as indicators of self-victimization as well as victimization by peers at T2 and T3. A cross-lagged latent model revealed that victim JS at T1 was positively associated with NSSI, substance use, and peer victimization at T2, and victim JS at T2 was positively associated with substance use at T3. Higher observer JS at T2 predicted higher illegal substance use at T3 and higher illegal substance use at T2 predicted higher observer JS at T3. Finally, higher peer victimization at T2 predicted less perpetrator JS at T3 in the total group. Multigroup models further revealed sex-specific effects. Our findings highlight that being sensitive to injustice, particularly the tendency to feel unfairly treated or being taken advantage of, contributes to individuals’ vulnerability to both engaging in behaviors reflecting self-victimization and being a target of peer victimization, which in turn have influences on JS.