Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Methodological Strategies in Research to Validate Measures of Belief in a Just World

  • Chapter
Responses to Victimizations and Belief in a Just World

Part of the book series: Critical Issues in Social Justice ((CISJ))

Abstract

When I first came across Justice Motive Theory (JMT) and related research (Lerner, 1970; Lerner and Simmons, 1966), I was initially confused, then puzzled, and eventually fascinated by the idea that certain social judgments and behaviors, such as blaming victims for their misfortune, might be motivated by the exact opposite of what these judgments and behaviors seemed to reflect on first sight: a need for justice. Given my interest in personality and individual differences, I was attracted to Rubin and Peplau’s (1973, 1975) suggestion that the justice motive (JM) might differ between individuals just like other motives and needs do (power, achievement, approval, etc.).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aiken, L. S. and West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borkenau, P. (1986). Toward an understanding of trait interrelations: Acts as instances for several traits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 371-381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun, M. (1993). Ideologie oder objektive Lage? Anmerkungen zur Interpretation von Unterschieden und Ähnlichkeiten in den Einstellungen von Ost-und Westdeutschen. ZUMA-Nachichten, 32, 7 - 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger, J.M. (1992). Desire for control. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D.T. and Fiske, D.W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81 - 105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cattell, R.B. (1966). Psychological theory and scientific method. In R.B. Cattell (Ed.), Hand-book of multivariate experimental psychology (pp. 1 - 18 ). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, S.D. (1992). The experience of injustice: Some characteristics and correlates. Social Justice Research, 5, 71-91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, B. (1974). Four components of the Rotter internal-external scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 29, 381 - 391.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L.J. and Meehl, P.E. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52, 281 - 302.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crowne, D.P. and Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349 - 354.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C. (1982). Der Glaube an eine gerechte Welt: Zur Güte einer deutschen Version der Skala von Rubin and Peplau (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr.10). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I: Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C. (1992). Der Glaube an die gerechte Welt: Differenzierung und Validierung eines Konstrukts. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 23, 268-276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C. (1993). Psychisches Wohlbefinden und Persönlichkeit in Ost und West: Vergleich von Sozialisationseffekten in der früheren DDR und der alten BRD. Zeitschrift für Sozialisationsforschung und Erziehungssoziologie, 13, 82-94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C. (1996). Über den Umgang mit Ungerechtigkeit. Bern: Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C., Montada, L., and Schmitt, M. (1987). Glaube an eine gerechte Welt als Motiv: Validierungskorrelate zweier Skalen. Psychologische Beiträge, 29, 596-615.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalbert, C. and Schneider, A. (1995). Die Allgemeine Gerechte-Welt-Skala: Dimensionalität, Stabilität and Fremdurteiler-Validität (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 86 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dion, K.L. and Dion, K.K. (1987). Belief in a just world and physical attractiveness stereotyping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 775 - 780.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dörfel, M. and Schmitt, M. (1997). Procedural injustice in the workplace, sensitivity to befallen injustice, and job satisfaction (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 103 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S., Lipson, A., Holstein, C., and Hub, E. (1992). Irrational reactions to negative outcomes: Evidence for two conceptual systems. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 328-339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fumham, A. (1993). Just world beliefs in twelve societies. Journal of Social Psychology, 133, 317 - 329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A. and Gunter, B. (1984). Just world beliefs and attitudes towards the poor. British Journal of Social Psychology, 23, 265 - 269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A. and Procter, E. (1992). Sphere-specific just world beliefs and attitudes to AIDS. Human Relations, 45, 265 - 280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hafer, C.L. and Olson, J.M. (1989). Beliefs in a just world and reactions to personal deprivation. Journal of Personality, 57, 799 - 823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heaven, P.C. and Connors, J. (1988). Personality, gender, and just world beliefs. Australian Journal of Psychology, 40, 261 - 266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbst, E. (1992). Zuschreibung von Verantwortlichkeit und Schuld gegenüber Opfern durch unbeteiligte Dritte in ihrer Abhängigkeit von Gerechtigkeits-und Kontrollierbarkeitsüberzeugungen sowie Gerechtigkeits-und Kontrollierbarkeitszentralität. Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie (unpubl. diploma thesis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kordmann, P. (1991). Determinanten der Opferbeurteilung: Einflüsse von Gerechtigkeitsund Kontrollüberzeugungen auf den Attributionsprozeß. Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie (unpubl. diploma thesis )

    Google Scholar 

  • Krosnick, J.A. (1988). The role of attitude importance in social evaluations: A study of policy preferences, presidential candidate evaluations, and voting behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 196-210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakatos, I. (1978). The methodology of scientific research programmes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.J. (1970). The desire for justice and reactions to victims. In J. Macaulay and L. Berkowitz (Eds.), Altruism and helping behavior (pp. 205 - 229 ). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.J. (1978)chwr(133). but nobody liked the Indians. Belief in a Just World versus the Authoritarianism syndrome. Ethnicity, 5, 229 - 237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.J. (1980). The belief in a just world: A fundamental delusion. New York: Plenum. Lerner, M. J. and Miller, D.T. (1978). Just world research and the attribution process: looking back and ahead. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1030 - 1051.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.J., Miller, D.T., and Holmes, J.G. (1976). Deserving and the emergence of forms of justice. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 9, pp. 133 - 162 ). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M.J. and Simmons, C.H. (1966). The observer’s reaction to the innocent victim: Compassion or rejection? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4, 203 - 210.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Limbach, A.F. (1992). Die emotionale Verarbeitung von Arbeitslosigkeit. Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie (unpubl. diploma thesis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipkus, I.M. (1991). The construction and preliminary validation of a global belief in a just world scale and the exploratory analysis of the multidimensional belief in a just world scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 1171 - 1178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lück, H.E. and Timaeus, E. (1969). Skalen zur Messung Manifester Angst (MAS) und sozialer Wünschbarkeit ( SDS-E und SDS-CM ). Diagnostica, 15, 134-141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maes, J. (1992). Konstruktion und Analyse eines mehrdimensionalen Gerechte-Welt-Fragebogens (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe „Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 64 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maes, J. (1994a). Blaming the victim-belief in control or belief in justice? Social Justice Research, 7, 69 - 90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maes, J. (1994b). Drakonität als Personmerkmal: Entwicklung und erste Erprobung eines Fragebogems zur Erfassung von Urteilsstrenge (Drakonität) versus Milde (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 78 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, D.T. (1977). Altruism and threat to a belief in a just world. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13, 113 - 124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, F.D., Smith, E.R., Ferree, M.M., and Taylor, S.E. (1976). Predicting perceptions of victimization. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 6, 352 - 359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohiyeddini, C. (1995). Sensibilität für widerfahrene Ungerechtigkeit als Disposition: kognitive, emotionale sowie behaviorale Reaktionen auf ungerechte Behandlung. Trier: Universität Trier (unpublished diploma thesis).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohiyeddini, C. and Schmitt, M. (1997). Sensitivity to befallen injusitce and reactions to unfair treatment in a laboratory situation. Social Justice Research, 10, 333 - 352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montada, L. (1992). Attribution of responsibility for losses and perceived injustice. In L. Montada, S.- H. Filipp, and M.J. Lerner (Eds.), Life crises and the experience of loss in adulthood (pp. 133 - 162 ). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montada, L. and Schneider, A. (1989). Justice and emotional reactions to the disadvantaged. Social Justice Research, 3, 313 - 344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montada, L., Schmitt, M., and Dalbert, C. (1986). Thinking about justice and dealing with one’s own privileges: A study of existential guilt. In H.-W. Bierhoff, R.L. Cohen, and J. Greenberg (Eds.), Justice in Social Relations (pp. 125 - 143 ). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Montada, L., Schmitt, M., and Dalbert, C. (1991). Prosocial commitments in the family: Situational, personality, and systemic factors. In L. Montada and H.-W. Bierhoff (Eds.), Altruism in social systems (pp. 177 - 203 ). Toronto: Hogrefe and Huber Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichle, B. (1994). Die Zuschreibung von Verantwortlichkeit für negative Ereignisse in Partnerschaften: Ein Modell und erste empirische Befunde. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 25, 227-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Z. and Peplau, L.A. (1973). Belief in a just world and reactions to another’s lot: A study of participants in the National Draft Lottery. Journal of Social Issues, 29 (4), 73 - 93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Z. and Peplau, L. A. (1975). Who believes in a just world? Journal of Social Issues, 31 (3), 65 - 89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauer, C. (1984). Opfer und Beobachter: zwei experimentelle Untersuchungen von Reaktionen auf die Wahrnehmung von Ungerechtigkeit. Mannheim: Universität Mannheim - Fakultaet für Sozialwissenschaften (unpubl. dissert. )

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. (1991). Ungerechtes Schicksal und Personenbewertung. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 22, 208 - 210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. (1992). Schönheit und Talent: Untersuchungen zum Verschwinden des Halo-Ef- fekts. Zeitschrift für experimentelle und angewandte Psychologie, 39, 475-492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. and Borkenau, P. (1992). The consistency of personality. In G.-V. Caprara and G.L. Van Heck (Eds.), Modern personality psychology. Critical reviews and new directions (pp. 29 - 55 ). New York: Harvester-Wheatsheaf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. and Herbst, E. (1993). How to separate justice and control as motives for blaming the victims? Paper presented at the IV. International Conference on Social Justice Research in Trier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. and Janetzko, E. (1993). Verantwortlichkeitsüberzeugungenbei Ost-und Westdeutschen. In G. Trommsdorff (Hrsg.), Psychologische Aspekte des sozio-politischen Wandels in Ostdeutschland (S. 169 - 179 ). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M., Kilders, M., Mösle, A., Müller, L., Pfrengle, A., Rabenberg, H., Schott, F., Stolz, J., Suda, U., Williams, M., and Zimmermann, G. (1991). Gerechte-Welt-Glaube, Gewinn und Verlust: Rechtfertigung oder ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit? Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 22, 37-45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M., Maes, J., and Schmal, A. (1995). Gerechtigkeit als innerdeutsches Problem: Einstellungen zu Verteilungsprinzipien, Ungerechtigkeitssensibilität und Glaube an eine gerechte Welt als Kovariate (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 82 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M., Maes, J., and Schmal, A. (1997). Gerechtigkeit als innerdeutsches Problem: Analyse der Meßeigenschaften von Meßinstrumenten für Einstellungen zu Verteilungsprinzipien, Ungerechtigkeitssensibilität und Glaube an eine gerechte Welt (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr. 105 ). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I - Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. and Mohiyeddini, C. (1996). Sensitivity to befallen injustice and reactions to a real life disadvantage. Social Justice Research, 9, 223 - 238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. and Montada, L. (1982). Determinanten erlebter Gerechtigkeit. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 13, 32 - 44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M., Neumann, R., and Montada, L. (1995). Dispositional sensitivity to befallen injustice. Social Justice Research, 8, 385 - 407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, A. (1988). Glaube an die gerechte Welt: Replikation der Validierungskorrelate zweier Skalen (Berichte aus der Arbeitsgruppe Verantwortung, Gerechtigkeit, Moral Nr.40). Trier: Universität Trier, Fachbereich I: Psychologie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S.H. (1977). Normative influences on altruism. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 10, pp. 221 - 279 ). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaver, K.G. (1985). The attribution of blame: Causality, responsibility, and blame worthiness.New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silbereisen, R.K., Lamsfuss, S., Boehnke, K., and Eisenberg, N. (1991). Developmental patterns and correlates of prosocial motives in adolescence. In L. Montada and H.-W. Bierhoff (Eds.), Altruism in social systems (pp. 177 - 203 ). Toronto: Hogrefe and Huber Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. and Green, D. (1984). Individual correlates of the belief in a just world. Psychological Reports, 34, 435 - 438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Törnblom, K.Y. and Foa, U.G. (1983). Choice of a distribution principle: crosscultural evidence on the effects of resources. Acta Sociologica, 26, 161 - 173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagstaff, G.F. (1983). Correlates of the just world in Britain. Journal of Social Psychology, 121, 145 - 146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walster, E. (1966). Assignment of responsibility for an accident. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 73 - 79.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wegener, B. and Liebig, S. (1994). Hierarchical and social closure conceptions of distributive justice: A comparison of East and West Germans. In B. Wegener, A. Acisu, P. Davidson, S. Fischer, S. Kleebaur, R. Krämer, S. Liebig, and S. Steinmann (Eds.), Die Warhnehmung sozialer Gerechtigkeit in Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich (pp. 287 - 309 ). Berlin: Institut für Soziologie der Humboldt Universität.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M. and Gerbasi, K. C. (1977). Belief in internal control or belief in a just world: The use and misuse of the I-E-scale in prediction of attitudes and behavior. Journal of Personality, 45, 356-378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M., Gerbasi, K. C., Kravitz, R. I., Sr Wheeler, L. (1975). The belief in a just world and reactions to innocent victims. Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 5, 326.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Universität Trier, D-54286, Trier, Germany

    Manfred J. Schmitt

Authors
  1. Manfred J. Schmitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Trier, D-54286, Trier, Germany

    Leo Montada

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Melvin J. Lerner

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Schmitt, M.J. (1998). Methodological Strategies in Research to Validate Measures of Belief in a Just World. In: Montada, L., Lerner, M.J. (eds) Responses to Victimizations and Belief in a Just World. Critical Issues in Social Justice. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6418-5_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6418-5_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3306-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-6418-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation