Belief in a just world

Abstract

The particular dominant aspects of theory called "belief in a just world" of Canadian psychologist M. J. Lerner (1965, 1970, 1980) are analysed in the study. The research results in the field of belief in a just world - in the beginning especially in an experimental way - documented the existence of the tendency to judge the events in a way that is in correspondence with the principle of justice. It is supposed that the motive of justice represents the motivational component. From the point of view of the interindividual approach the belief in a just world shows to be the personality feature with several important functions and relationships. Especially its positive relation to factors of mental health (subjective well-being, self-esteem) can be considered to be important. The factors of mental health are also influenced through coping with stress and demanding life situations. In this direction it influences the effective coping processes e.g. through the reduction of experience of injustice and from it resulting negative consequences. The belief in a just world is also an important component of the achievement behaviour. In this sense it operates e.g. through the dimension of cognitive evaluation of the task as a challenge what reduces the distress and forms the favourable presumptions for the solving of the task. Other results support also the assumptions about its positive effect on subject's behaviour from the aspect of justice. The functional basis of belief in a just world is illustrated also by the findings regarding its changes in particular developmental periods. Some findings support also the original assumptions that belief in an unjust world has a specific position in the personality from the qualitative point of view. Presented findings give the outline of knowledge framework in the field. It makes possible to state that belief in a just world is a variable associated with subject's experience and behaviour in a specific way.