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Belief in a Just World

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Handbook of Social Justice Theory and Research

Abstract

In this chapter, we review past and current developments on individual differences in belief in a just world (BJW). Research focusing on measurement of BJW has led to critiques of the original Just World Scale (Rubin & Peplau, Journal of Social Issues, 29, 1973; Journal of Social Issues, 31, 1975) and a trend toward multiple scales assessing different forms of BJW; most notably, personal vs. general forms of BJW. The overall concept of BJW has been well validated by studies of correlates, including certain reactions to victims and ideological variables. With respect to the broader significance of BJW, though BJW is adaptive for the self, the implications of BJW for society are more ambiguous. The developmental foundations of BJW are also unclear, but possible sources include experience with justice and injustice, social learning, and so on. In future, researchers should integrate the forms of BJW into a coherent theoretical framework, further explore the adaptive and maladaptive correlates of BJW, and employ longitudinal designs to better address developmental processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brock University, Saint Catharines, Canada

    Carolyn L. Hafer

  2. University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Robbie Sutton

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  1. Carolyn L. Hafer
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  2. Robbie Sutton
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Correspondence to Carolyn L. Hafer .

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  1. University of Haifa Faculty of Education, Haifa, Israel

    Clara Sabbagh

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany

    Manfred Schmitt

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Hafer, C.L., Sutton, R. (2016). Belief in a Just World. In: Sabbagh, C., Schmitt, M. (eds) Handbook of Social Justice Theory and Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3216-0_8

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