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System-Justifying Beliefs and Psychological Well-Being: The Roles of Group Status and Identity

Laurie T. O’Brien

Tulane University

Brenda Major

University of California, Santa Barbara

This research examined the relationship between endorsing system-justifying beliefs and psychological well-being among individuals fromethnic groups that vary in social status. Systemjustifying beliefs are beliefs that imply that status in society is fair, deserved, and merited; examples of system-justifying beliefs in the United States include the beliefs that hard work pays off and that anyone can get ahead regardless of their group membership. We found that endorsing system-justifying beliefs was negatively related to psychological well-being among members of lowstatus groups who were highly identified with their group but positively related to well-being among members of low-status groups who were not highly identified with their ethnic group. In addition, we found that endorsing system-justifying beliefs was positively related to well-being among members of high-status groups, especially among members of high-status groups who were highly identified with the group.

Key Words: group status • system justification • well-being • stigma • identity

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 12, 1718-1729 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167205278261
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