0000000000427601
AUTHOR
Changiz Mohiyeddini
BJW and Self-Efficacy in Coping with Observed Victimization
With the theory of “Belief in a Just World” (BJW), Lerner (1970, 1980) has given an explanation as to why people blame innocent victims for self-infliction of their fate and why they derogate innocent victims. They do so to deny injustices, respectively, to defend their belief in a just world. BJW in its most general form implies the conviction that everybody gets what he or she justly deserves. The other side of the coin is that everybody deserves what happens to him or her. When oneself or others enjoy advantages or suffer disadvantages, we care about justice. BJW motivates the search for legitimate reasons. Deservingness is the most legitimate reason for many people.
Sensitivity to befallen injustice and reactions to unfair treatment in a laboratory situation
At Time 1, 171 students were administered questionnaires for measuring sensitivity to befallen injustice (SBI), trait anger, anger in, anger out, anger control, self-assertiveness, and attitudes toward principles of distributive justice (equality of chances, equity). Two months later (Time 2), 75 of these subjects were treated unfairly in a laboratory situation dealing with competition and achievement behavior. Two justice principles were violated: the equality of chances principle and the equity principle. Four weeks later (Time 3), 32 subjects evaluated the unfair treatment in retrospect. All three occasions were presented as independent studies with the subjects perceiving no connection …