Table Of ContentThe Justice Motive as
a Personal Resource
Dealing with Challenges
and Critical Life Events
CRITICAL ISSUES IN SOCIAL JUSTICE
Series Editor: Melvin Lerner, University ofWaterloo, Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada
AdvisoryEditors:
Ronald C.Dillehay, GrantSawyer CenterforJustice Studies,
University ofNevada, Reno, Nevada
Leo Montada, CenterforJustice Research, University ofPotsdam,
Potsdam, Germany
Recent volumes in this series:
CURRENTSOCIETALCONCERNS ABOUTJUSTICE
Leo Montada and MelvinJ.Lerner
ENTITLEMENTANDTHE AFFECTIONALBOND:
Justice in Close Relationships
Editedby MelvinJ.Lerner and Gerold Mikula
THEJUSTICEMOTIVEAS A PERSONALRESOURCE
Dealing with Challenges and Critical LifeEvents
ClaudiaDalbert
LEGACYOF INJUSTICE:
Exploring the Cross-Generational Impact ofthe
Japanese-American Internment
Donna K.Nagata
LIVINGANDDYINGWELL
Lewis Petrinovich
RESPONSESTO VICTIMIZATIONS ANDBELIEFINAJUSTWORLD
Edited by LeoMontada and MelvinJ.Lerner
SOCIALJUSTICEINHUMAN RELATIONS
Volume 1:Societal and Psychological Origins ofJustice
Editedby Riel Vermunt and Herman Steensma
Volume 2:Societal and Psychological Consequences ofJustice and Injustice
Edited by Herman Steensma and Riel Vermunt
VALUES,ACHIEVEMENT, ANDJUSTICE
Studies in the Psychology ofDeservingness
Norman T.Feather
AContinuationOrder Plan isavailable forthis series. Acontinuationorder will bring
delivery ofeach new volumeimmediatelyupon publication. Volumesarebilled only .
upon actual shipment. For further informationplease contactthe publisher.
The Justice Motive as
a Personal Resource
Dealing with Challenges
and Critical Life Events
Claudia Dalbert
Martin Luther University
Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Thejusticemotiveasapersonalresource:dealingwith challenges and critical life
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Includesbibliographicalreferences and index.
1.Justice-Psychologicalaspects. 1.Title. II. Series.
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Preface
Just-world research started with Melvin J.Lerner's experiment on the
evaluation of performance as a function of performer's reward and at
tractiveness(1965).This wasthe experimentinwhich-tothebest ofmy
knowledge-Lernerfirst developedthe ideaofthebeliefin ajust world,
statingthat"ifitismore comfortableforapersontobelievethathis own
productiveeffortswilllead to adesiredoutcomethenhe shouldalsobe
more comfortable ifhe can perceive this causal relationship between
personaleffortandoutcomeoperatingintheworldatlarge" (p.356).The
experiment demonstrated that observers tend to persuade themselves
that a person awarded a sizeable amount of money by chance really
deserved this reward.The most influential just world experiment was
publishedin 1966by Lerner andSimmons,who introducedtheexperi
mental just world paradigm.Participants observed the suffering of an
obviously innocentvictim-e.g.,awomanbeinggiven painful electric
shocks during a learning task-but were powerless to change the vic
tim's fate.The results ofLerner andSimmons' (1966) experiment"offer
supportforthe hypothesis that rejection and devaluation ofasuffering
victim are primarily based on the observer's need to believe in a just
world" (p.203). The observers devaluedthe victimwhentheybelieved
that she would continue to suffer.
Ample just-world research was conducted in subsequent years,
focusing on observers' reactions to innocent victims and frequently
applying the experimental paradigm introduced by Lerner and Sim
mons (1966; for a review, see Lerner & Miller, 1978). After Rubin and
Peplau (1973, 1975) introduced the beliefin a just world (BJW) as an
individually varying disposition, just-world research shifted from ex
perimental to correlational research. The correlational approach also
concentratedonobservers'reactionswhenconfrontedwithsuchunfair
ness as poverty. In addition, the relationships between BJWand other
v
vi Preface
personality dispositions such as authoritarianism or internal locus of
control were investigated (for a review, see Furnham & Procter, 1989).
It was at this time that Ifirst learned about just-world research. A
first stepwas thetranslationandadaptationofRubinandPeplau's just
worldscaleinto German. Forseveralreasons,thisdidnotturnouttobea
successful endeavor (Dalbert, 1982). As a result, the justice research
group founded by Leo Montada at the University ofTrier developed a
new just-worldscale, the General Beliefin aJust World Scale (Dalbert,
Montada, & Schmitt, 1987; see Appendix). Our first area of interest
consisted in examiningreactions toward the disadvantaged (e.g.,Mon
tada, Schmitt, & Dalbert, 1986). In line with justice motive theory, I
gainedthe impressionthatpeople-andinparticularthosewithastrong
BJW-sufferwhen confrontedwith less fortunate others, and that they
attempt to protect their belief that the world is, overall, a just place.
Whenconfrontedwithcomplexsociopoliticalproblems,observershave
no easy way of compensating the victims and re-establishing justice.
Consequently, the justice research group explored observers' diverse
cognitive reactions towards differentgroups ofdisadvantaged individ
uals, such as the poor in developing countries, and disabled and un
employed individuals in Germany.
Uptothe1990s,just-worldresearchfocusedonobservers'reactions
to unfairness. Yet this line of research reflected only a small part of
justice motive theory. The BJW does not only regulate reactions to
unfairness,it"enablestheindividualtoconfronthis physicalandsocial
environmentasthoughitwerestableandorderly. Withoutsuchbeliefit
wouldbe difficultfortheindividualto commithimselftothepursuitof
long-rangegoals oreven tothesociallyregulatedbehaviorofday-to-day
life" (Lerner & Miller, 1978,pp. 1030-1031).Itisbecause oftheseadap
tivefunctionsoftheBJWthatindividualsareveryreluctanttorelinquish
their beliefin the world's being just, and defend this beliefin various
ways. Yet, although these adaptive functions were part of the core
concept of justice motive theory,research into them was scarce in the
first two decades of just-world research. The situation has changed
significantlyoverthe pastdecade, andtwo lines ofresearchcan nowbe
discriminated.
Anewphaseofcopingresearchwas basedonthe ideathatpositive
illusions (Taylor,1989), basic schemata (Cantor, 1990), or assumptive
worlds (Ianoff-Bulman, 1989) are important guidelines for the coping
process.This correspondswiththehypothesesaboutcopingandmental
healthderivedfrom just-worldresearch.The relationshipbetweenBJW
and dimensions of mental health has been investigated in several
studies, and an adaptive relationship between the two was found in
Preface vii
many cases (see chap. 3 for a review). This line of research has been
broadened to encompass BJW-based coping research. Ifindividuals
especially those with a strong BJW-suffer when confronted with un
fairness to others, they can be expectedto suffer evenmore when they
themselves become victims of unfairness. According to justice motive
theory,BJWis an importantresource for victims of an unjust fate. Itis
assumed to facilitate victims' coping efforts by providing a conceptual
frameworkwhichhelpsthemtointerpretthe eventsoftheirpersonallife
in a meaningful way. In other words, victims high in BWJcan be ex
pected to be more successful in finding meaning and thus defending
theirBJWand maintainingtheirmental health.Toasubstantial degree,
self-blame or,moregenerally, finding meaningcan be explained from a
just world perspective (for a review, see chap. 4). Just-world research
provides answers to the questions ofwhy such copingreactions occur,
and who will be most likely to make such efforts. BJW can thus be
identified as an important coping resource.
The psychological, and sometimes even the physiological, adjust
ment of victims of serious illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, or heart
disease,orofthosefacing acriticallossexperienceislargelydetermined
by the individual's coping efforts. Cognitive coping cannot fully be
understood without taking the just-world perspective into account.
Therefore, BJW-based coping research has significantly increased the
emphasis on the BJW construct. Traditionally, BJW research has ex
plained how people deal with social or societal problems such as pov
erty or unemployment. Within coping research, BJWalso becomes an
importantconstructin healthpsychology.Findingmeaningisone ofthe
criticalconditionsforthemaintenance ofmentalhealthin thosesuffer
ing from amajor illness or adapting to serious loss.In contrastto most
copingresearch,however,justicemotivetheoryprovidesanexplanation
of why specific coping reactions occur. Coping can be aimed at three
targets. Afirstgoalofcopingistosolve orminimizethe problem(e.g.,to
find anew job,torecover).Secondly, copingcan be aimedatprotecting
one'stheories ofself,e.g.,by downwardcomparisonorthere-scalingof
one's ambitions. Finally, the goal of coping can be to maintain one's
worldbeliefs.Findingmeaning(e.g.,byblamingoneself) andprotecting
one'swordtheory(e.g.,by avoidingself-focusedrumination) areimpor
tantcopingeffortswhichprotectthe victim'sBJWandfacilitatepsycho
logical adjustment. Furthermore,theyenablethevictimto successfully
respond to everyday challenges.
The secondline ofresearchinto the adaptive functions ofthe BJW
whichhas emerged over the past decade addresses the BJW's functions
as aresource in everyday life. From today'sperspective, it can be sum-
viii Preface
marized that the BJWfulfills three functions which lead to adaptive
reactions andthemaintenanceofwell-being.The BJWisindicativeofa
justicemotiveandoftheobligationtobehavefairly;it providesacogni
tive structure which facilitates the interpretation of personal events;
and, as a result, it strengthens the individual trust in one's own future
andthatofothers.Theseproperties ofthe BJWexplainagreat varietyof
human behavior.In everyday life, BJWincreases motive-congruentbe
havior(fairness), worksasabufferagainststress,enablesinvestmentsin
one'sfuture,andfosters achievementbehavior.Insum,BJWencourages
adaptivefunctioningthroughoutthelifecourseandcanthusbeseenasa
personal resource for those dealing with everyday challenges.
In my opinion, research into these adaptive functions has great
potential to shed further light on how individuals effect their own
development. In this vein, BJWcan be interpreted as a developmental
resource which, for example, promotes successful school and occupa
tional careers,and helps elderlyadults to come to terms with theirlife
course.The more evidentitbecomesthattheBJWrepresentsapersonal
resourceforvictimsofanunjustfate-aswell asforindividualsmeeting
thechallengesofeverydaylife,themore importantitbecomestoexplore
the developmental trajectories of this important personal disposition.
How does theBJWdevelop overthelifespanandwhichfamilialsocial
izationprocessesfacilitateits development?Moreover,dothe functions
ofthe BJWdescribed above alter over the life span, or do they remain
stable? Up to now,there have been very few studies into the develop
mental trajectories and developmental functions of the BJW.
The aimofthisvolumeistosummarizethesethreelinesofresearch,
demonstrate that the BJW is an important personal resource which
influences individuals' efforts to deal with everyday challenges and
cope with critical life events, and describe the developmental trajecto
ries ofthe BJW. One important function ofthe BJWis that it enhances
individuals' confidence in theirfuture,allowing them to trustin being
treated fairly by others.The consequences ofthis trustare describedin
chap. 3 of the volume. For example, BJWencourages individuals to
invest in their future and enhances achievementbehavior.The second
function ofBJWis that it enables individuals to interpretthe events of
their personal life in a meaningful way. Thus, BJWserves as buffer
against stress during anger experiences (chap. 3),and affects cognitive
copingwithcriticallifeeventssuchashavingadisabledchild(chap.4),
or being hit by structural unemployment (chap.4). Not only cognitive
copingeffortsareaffectedbytheBJW-whethervictimsclaimordonot
claim compensation seems also to be influenced by their BJW. Those
withastrongBJWaremore likelytotrytopreventsecondaryvictimiza-
Preface ix
tion, that is,they will only claim compensationifthey think that their
claimwillbesuccessful(chap.4).The thirdfunctionofthe BJWisthatit
isindicativeoftheobligationtobehavefairly.Evidenceforthishypoth
esis isgivenin chap.1.Inaddition,thevolumeaddressesbasicconcep
tualquestionssuchasthedifferentiationbetweenBJWasastabledispo
sition on the one hand and situational unfairness ratings (chap. 3) or
otherpositive illusions (chap. 1)on the other,aswellas suchquestions
as whetheror not the existence ofa justicemotive shouldbe assumed,
andwhetherornotthe BJWis agood indicatorofsucha justicemotive
(chap.1).Notleast, currentknowledgeaboutthe developmentaltrajecto
ries of the BJWis summarized in chap. 2.
This volume does not aim to summarize traditional just-world re
searchinto observers'reactions towardvictimssufferingan unjustfate.
Thisresearchhas beendocumentedelsewhere(Dalbert,1996;Furnham
& Procter, 1989; Lerner & Miller, 1978). Instead, the volume aims to
highlight the adaptive facets of the BJW, which were implied in the
original formulations of the just-world hypothesis, but consistently
overlooked and underestimated in the first decades of just-world re
search.The emphasisonBJWasapersonalresourcein everydaylifeand
in coping with critical life events should help to promote further re
search into the adaptive side of the justice motive. Moreover, this ap
proachshouldopenup otherareas ofpsychologicalresearchfortheBJW
theory. Thus, the book is not only aimed at social psychologists inter
estedin justiceresearchingeneralandjust-worldresearchin particular.
Coping researchers can discover how justice concerns affect victims'
coping efforts. Educational psychologists can find out how trust in
fairness affects school achievement, and which educational efforts
couldstrengthenthebeliefinajustworld.Developmentalpsychologists
can readabouthowcognitive developmentandthe developmentofthe
just-world belief are intertwined. Psychologists interested in human
motives are invitedto discusswhetherornotajusticemotiveshouldbe
assumed.Asummaryisgivenatthe endofeachchapter-thisshouldbe
especially helpful for readers from other disciplines and for students.
Over the past 20 years,innumerable persons have collaborated in
my just-worldstudies,discussedmy results, andmotivatedme to carry
on withjust-worldresearch.Thus,studentsandcolleagueswereapow
erful resourceenablingmetoconductthisresearchand, finally, towrite
this book. I am grateful to all of them.
Claudia Dalbert
