Association as a Psychological Justification for Ownership

Abstract

Abstract As noted by legal scholars (e.g., Saks, 1986), little research has been conducted on the psychology of ownership decision making. The present research examined this issue within a psychological framework which showed that an individual's judgments about a target can be affected by the presence of an association between the target and another entity. In three experiments, subjects were asked to resolve a dispute between two parties over possession of an object. In Study 1, subjects judged that the person pictured with an object had a stronger claim of ownership over it. Study 2 showed that prior use was a justification for ownership and that past investment in an object (in terms of working with it) was a justification for ownership, a finding replicated in the third study. In Study 3, the intentions of the disputants affected the strength of their perceived claim of ownership.