Abstract
Anger is the emotion typically accompanying unfairness appraisals. Belief in a just world (BJW) was expected to buffer against angry feelings because subjects high in BJW play down unfairness, justify unfairness as being self-inflicted, and avoid self-focused rumination. Three studies were run to test this hypothesis. A questionnaire study revealed that subjects who strongly endorse the belief in a personally just world are less likely to experience anger and, if they do experience such feelings, are less likely to suppress them. In two experiments, an angry, a happy, or a sad mood was induced. In the anger-evoking condition, subjects high in BJW were less angry and suffered no decrease in self-esteem compared to subjects low in BJW, who reported increased feelings of anger and decreased self-esteem. It is concluded that individuals high in BJW are better able to cope with anger-evoking situations, and that BJW can be seen as a personal resource protecting not only mental but also physical health.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Adler, N., and Matthews, K. (1994). Health Psychology: Why do some people get sick and some stay well? Annu. Rev. Psychol. 45: 229-259.
Bulman, R. J., and Wortman, C. B. (1977). Attributions of blame and coping in the “real world”: Severe accident victims react to their lot. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 35: 351-363.
Comer, R., and Laird, J. D. (1975). Choosing to suffer as a consequence of expecting to suffer: Why do people do it? J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 32: 92-101.
Dalbert, C. (1992). Subjektives Wohlbefinden junger Erwachsener: Theoretische und empirische Analysen der Struktur und Stabilität [Young adults' subjective well-being: Theoretical and empirical analyses of its structure and stability]. Zeitschrift f ür Differentielle und Diagnostische Psychologie 13: 207-220.
Dalbert, C. (1993). Gefährdung des Wohlbefindens durch Arbeitsplatzunsicherheit: Eine Analyse der Einflußfaktoren Selbstwert und Gerechte-Welt-Glaube [Endangering subjective well-being by job insecurity: An analysis of the impact of self-esteem and belief in a just world]. Zeitschrift f ür Gesundheitspsychologie 1: 235-253.
Dalbert, C. (1996). Über den Umgang mit Ungerechtigkeit. Eine psychologische Analyse [Dealing with injustice. A psychological analysis], Huber, Bern, Switzerland.
Dalbert, C. (1997). Coping with an unjust fate: The case of structural unemployment. Soc. Just. Res. 10: 175-189.
Dalbert, C. (1999). The world is more just for me than generally: About the Personal Belief in a Just World Scale's validity. Soc. Just. Res. 12: 79-98.
Dalbert, C. (2001). The Justice Motive as a Personal Resource: Dealing With Challenges and Critical Life Events, Plenum Press, New York.
Dalbert, C., and Braun, A. (1997). Coping With Cancer: A Study With Adult Cancer Patients, Unpublished data, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Dalbert, C., Montada, L., and Schmitt, M. (1987). Glaube an eine gerechte Welt als Motiv: Validierungskorrelate zweier Skalen [Belief in a just world: Validity correlates of two scales]. Psychologische Beiträge 29: 596-615.
Dalbert, C., and Yamauchi, L. (1994). Belief in a just world and attitudes toward immigrants and foreign workers: A cultural comparison between Hawaii and Germany. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 24: 1612-1626.
Dembroski, T., MacDuogall, J. M., Williams, R. B., Haney, T. L., and Blumenthal, J. A. (1985). Components of Type A behavior, hostility, and anger-in: Relationship to angiographic findings. Psychosom. Med. 47: 219-33.
Deusinger, I. M. (1986). Die Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptskalen (FSKN) [The Frankfurt Self Concept Scales], Hogrefe, Göttingen, Germany.
Farwell, L., and Weiner, B. (1996). Self-perception of fairness in individual and group contexts. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 22: 868-881.
Furnham, A. (1995). The just world, charitable giving and attitudes to disability. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 19: 577-583.
Furnham, A., and Procter, E. (1989). Belief in a just world: Review and critique of the individual difference literature. Br. J. Soc. Psychol. 28: 365-384.
Gentry, W. C., Chesney, A. P., Gary, H. G., Hall, R. D., and Harburg, E. (1982). Habitual anger-coping styles: I. Effect on mean blood pressure and risk for essential hypertension. Psychosom. Med. 44: 273-81.
Hafer, C. L. (2000). Investment in long-term goals and commitment to just means drive the need to believe in a just world. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 26: 1059-1073.
Hafer, C. L., and Correy, B. L. (1999). Mediators of the relation of beliefs in a just world and emotional responses to negative outcomes. Soc. Just. Res. 12: 189-204.
Hafer, C. L., and Olson, J. M. (1993). Beliefs in a just world, discontent, and assertive actions by working women. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 19: 30-38.
Johnson, E. H. (1990). The Deadly Emotions: The Role of Anger, Hostility, and Aggression in Health and Emotional Well-Being, Praeger, New York.
Karuza, J., Jr., and Carey, T. O. (1984). Relative preference and adaptiveness of behavioral blame for observers of rape victims. J. Pers. 52: 249-260.
Keltner, D., Ellsworth, P. C., and Edwards, K. (1993). Beyond simple pessimism: Effects of sadness and anger on social perception. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 64: 740-752.
Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., and Williams, D. A. (1987). Self-blame, compliance, and distress among burn patients. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 53: 187-193.
Lerner, M. J. (1965). Evaluation of performance as a function of performer's reward and attractiveness. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1: 355-360.
Lerner, M. J., and Miller, D. T. (1978). Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead. Psychol. Bull. 85: 1030-1051.
Lerner, M. J., and Simmons, C. H. (1966). The observer's reaction to the “innocent victim”: Compassion or rejection? J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 4: 203-210.
Lerner, M. J., and Somers, D. G. (1992). Employees' reactions to an anticipated plant closure: The influence of positive illusions. In Montada, L., and Filipp, S. H. (eds.), Life Crises and Experiences of Loss in Adulthood, LEA, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 229-254.
Libow, J. A., and Doty, D. W. (1979). An exploratory approach to self-blame and self-derogation by rape victims. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 49: 670-679.
Lipkus, I. M., Dalbert, C., and Siegler, I. C. (1996). The importance of distinguishing the belief in a just world for self versus others. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 22: 666-677.
Lipkus, I. M., and Siegler, I. C. (1993). The belief in a just world and perceptions of discrimination. J. Psychol. 127: 465-474.
Meng, X.-L., Rosenthal, R., and Rubin, D. B. (1992). Comparing correlated correlation coefficients. Psychol. Bull. 111: 172-175.
Messick, D. M., Bloom, S., Boldizar, J. P., and Samuelson, C. D. (1985). Why are we fairer than others? J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 21: 480-500.
Mikula, G., Scherer, K. R., and Athenstaedt, V. (1998). The role of injustice in the elicitation of differential emotional reactions. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 24: 769-783.
Montada, L., Schmitt, M., and Dalbert, C. (1986). Thinking about justice and dealing with one's own privileges: A study of existential guilt. In Bierhoff, H. W., Cohen, R. L., and Greenberg, J. (eds.), Justice in Social Relations, Plenum Press, New York, pp. 125-143.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
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. J. Soc. Issues 29(4): 73-93.
Rubin, Z., and Peplau, L. A. (1975). Who believes in a just world? J. Soc. Issues 31(3): 65-89.
Rusting, C. L., and Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1998). Regulating responses to anger: Effects of rumination and distraction on angry mood. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 74: 790-803.
Scherer, K. R. (1997). The role of culture in emotion-antecedent appraisal. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 73: 902-922.
Schwenkmezger, P. (1997). Ärger, Ärgerausdruck und Gesundheit [Anger, the expression of anger, and health]. In Schwarzer, R. (ed.), Gesundheitspsychologie, Hogrefe, Göttingen, Germany, pp. 299-317.
Schwenkmezger, P., Hodapp, V., and Spielberger, C. D. (1992). Das State-Trait-Ärgerausdrucks-Inventar STAXI [The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory STAXI], Huber, Bern, Switzerland.
Smith, C. A., and Ellsworth, P. C. (1985). Patterns of cognitive appraisal in emotion. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 48: 813-838.
Spielberger, C. D. (1988). State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI): Research Edition, Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa, FL.
Stöber, J. (2000). CCC-I/II [Computer software], Department of Educational Psychology, Martin Luther University of Halle–Wittenberg, Hall (Salle), Germany.
Strack, F., Schwarz, N., and Gschneidinger, E. (1985). Happiness and reminiscing: The role of time perspective, affect, and mode of thinking. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 49: 1460-1468.
Suinn, R. M. (2001). The terrible twos—Anger and anxiety. Hazardous to your health. Am. Psychol. 56: 27-36.
Taylor, D. M., Wright, G. C., Moghaddam, F. M., and Lalonde, R. N. (1990). The personal/group discrimination discrepancy: Perceiving my group, but not myself, to be a target for discrimination. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 16: 254-262.
Tomaka, J., and Blascovich, J. (1994). Effects of justice beliefs on cognitive appraisals of and subjective, physiological, and behavioral responses to potential stress. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 67: 732-740.
Zuckerman, M. (1975). Belief in a just world and altruistic behavior. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 31: 972-976.
Zuckerman, M., and Gerbasi, K. C. (1977). Belief in a just world and trust. J. Res. Pers. 11: 306-317.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dalbert, C. Beliefs in a Just World as a Buffer Against Anger. Social Justice Research 15, 123–145 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019919822628
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019919822628