Individual Differences Research

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Individual Differences Research > Volume 15 (2017) > e15002

The Malleability of Belief in a Just World: Evidence from a Health Resource Allocation Exercise

Todd Lucas, Susan Goold

Abstract

Belief in a Just World theory proposes that individuals need to believe that people get what they deserve. Although individual differences in just world beliefs have been shown to predict many aspects of subjective well-being research examining their malleability has not been forthcoming. In the present study, participants completed an interactive health resource allocation exercise (CHAT-Choosing Health All Together). Participation in CHAT augmented two kinds of just world beliefs: Perceived fairness of rules and processes (procedural just world beliefs), and also perceived fairness of outcomes and allocations (distributive just world beliefs). In general, this research provides discussion for the malleability of some individual differences in just world beliefs.