The Role of the Justice Motive in Reactions to Illness and Injury

Abstract

Justice motive theory provides an account of people’s reactions to violations of their belief in a just world and the variable ways they will attempt to maintain their view of the world as just. Work in the area has extensively examined observer reactions to the fates of others. Less is known about how people react to injustice associated with their own outcomes. The present research examines justice relevant factors associated with experiencing injury or illness including fairness, deservingness, and the potential moderating effects of severity and responsibility. To assess these factors correlational, regression and MANOVA analysis were used. The potential for injury and illness to give rise to fairness and deservingness concerns was apparent for many but not all participants. In addition the hypothesized just world protective strategies of self-blame, self-derogation, compensatory cognition, and reevaluating the outcome were evident in participants’ reactions to infirmities.