Procedural and Distributive Justice Beliefs for Self and Others

Abstract

Both theory and research suggest that beliefs about justice for the self are distinct from beliefs about justice for others. Self-other differences, however, have not yet intersected with research on procedural and distributive justice. We examined the psychometrics and validity of a proposed four-dimensional measure of procedural and distributive justice beliefs for self and others. Participants from three samples (total N = 1463) completed dispositional measures of beliefs about fair outcomes (distributive justice beliefs) and processes (procedural justice beliefs). These measures were modified and expanded to record beliefs about justice for the self and justice for others. We also administered measures of well-being and harsh social attitudes. Factor analyses strongly supported the proposed four-factor model. In addition, higher-order self-others and procedural-distributive factors were indicated by theoretically appropriate lower-level factors. Finally, multiple regression analyses provided evidence for idiosyncratic links between four-factor individual differences and measures of well-being and harsh social attitudes. The proposed four-factor operationalization can provide individual differences researchers with a useful tool for bridging two important areas of justice theory and research that previously have been linked to health behavior, well-being, and harsh social attitudes.