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Justice for Whom, Exactly? Beliefs in Justice for the Self and Various Others

University of Kent, r.sutton{at}kent.ac.uk

Karen M. Douglas

University of Kent

Katie Wilkin

Keele University

Tracey J. Elder

Keele University

Jennifer M. Cole

University of Staffordshire

Sofia Stathi

University of Kent

The present studies examine why people think the world is more just to themselves than to others generally. Beliefs in justice for the self were uniquely associated with psychological adjustment, consistent with the theoretical motive to believe in justice for the self (Studies 1 and 2). However, this "justice motive" did not appear to affect the relative strength of justice beliefs. Instead, self–other differences in justice beliefs appeared to reflect objective assessments of the justice received by various demographics. Undergraduates believed the world to be more just to themselves than to others but not their undergraduate peers specifically (Study 1). Participants of both genders believed the world to be more just to men, and to themselves, than to women (Study 2). Women did not exempt themselves individually from injustice but believed, similar to men, that undergraduate women receive as much justice as men (Study 3).

Key Words: justice • self–other • gender • inequality • adjustment • system justification

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