Social Psychology: Justice and Injustice

Justice and Injustice

• Social psychologists study how individuals experience justice and injustice subjectively, not defining justice itself.
• Key interests include: how individuals react to justice and injustice; individuals' determination of what is just or unjust; and using research to create a more just society.
• Key questions social psychologists ask about justice include: what people perceive as fair, how fairness perceptions are formed, how fairness influences cognition, affect, and behavior, and what people do to achieve justice.

What is Justice?

• Justice is treating others fairly, based on their entitlement
• Key idea is giving others what they deserve and receiving what one is entitled to.

What is Injustice?

• Injustice arises when people receive rewards or punishments disproportionate to what they deserve.

Social Exchange Theory

• Early psychological theories posited that self-interest motivates people.
• Social exchange theory suggests people attempt to maximize rewards and minimize effort.
• Fairness isn't always the priority, but the appearance of fairness is important.

Research on Motivation and Justice

• Research reveals that overly compensated individuals can feel discomfort.
• Underpaid individuals may respond negatively to perceived injustice.
• Overpaid individuals might still feel discomfort if the compensation is deemed unfair.
• Individuals may leave jobs if they perceive them as unfair.
• Others might redistribute resources to rectify perceived injustices.
• Younger children (6 years old) value equal distribution more than older children.

When Justice Matters

• Authority figures influence perceptions of justice.
• Injustice triggers fairness concerns.
• Justice issues become more salient when other priorities don't matter (i.e. in times of scarcity).
• Diversified societies increase the concern for justice.
• Justice concerns intensify during resource scarcity.

The Scope of Justice

• The scope of justice defines who is included and who is excluded from fairness considerations.
• People within this boundary receive fairness and moral consideration; those outside do not.
• Factors such as similarity to others, conflict, and utility (benefit to individual or society) all influence the boundaries of one's scope of justice.
• Scope of justice varies with context (e.g., war, conflict).
• Similarity to the target person or group often determines scope.
• Beneficial or useful beings are often included.

Types of Justice

• Procedural Justice: Fairness of the decision-making process. Judgments of procedural justice are more predictive of job satisfaction and organizational commitment than judgments of distributive justice.
• Distributive Justice: Fairness of how rewards and punishments are allocated. People compare their inputs (effort) and outputs (rewards) to determine distributive justice.

Distribution Theories

• Relative Deprivation Theory: Fairness judged by comparing individual outcomes to others'.
• Equity Theory: Focuses on comparing inputs and outputs. Equity is when outcome reflects input, equality is similar or uniform outcome, and need is distributing based on individual needs.

Research on Distributive Justice

• Cultural differences affect how people perceive distributive justice. For example, collectivist cultures often value equality within groups, while individualist cultures often value equity.

Justice vs. Punishment

• Equitable justice: Punishment proportional to the crime.
• Equality of crime, similar punishment for similar crimes,
• Need based justice: Punishment determined by the need for deterrence or compensation for victims.
• Retributive justice: Seeks punishment that directly addresses the crime, to give the wrongdoer what they deserve.

Procedural vs. Distributive Justice

• Procedural justice encompasses aspects of fairness related to decision-making processes.
• Distributive justice relates to fairness in allocating rewards and punishments.

Group Engagement Model

• Social identity: Group membership influences how people understand themselves and drives extra-role behaviors. This means individuals who identify more closely with a group might put more effort into group-related tasks.

Conclusion

• Understanding justice involves exploring how individuals perceive procedural and distributive justice.
• Fairness concerns encompass both process and outcomes.
• Cultural factors affect individual justice perceptions.
• Justice understanding is crucial for creating better organizational and societal practices.

Explore the concepts of justice and injustice from a social psychology perspective. Understand how perceptions of fairness shape individual reactions and the role of social exchange theory in these dynamics. This quiz delves into what constitutes justice and how social psychologists work towards creating a more equitable society.