Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology
2021. Vol. 10, no. 1, 132–141
doi:10.17759/jmfp.2021100113
ISSN: 2304-4977 (online)
System Justification theory: a new perspective on the problem of inequality
Abstract
General Information
Keywords: system justification, social identity, outgroup favoritism, social dominance, inequality.
Journal rubric: Social Psychology
Article type: review article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2021100113
Funding. The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation, project № 20-18-00142.
Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful for worthy comments on an early version of the text Romanova M.O, Bogatyreva N.I., Ankushev V.V., Terskova M.A.
For citation: Agadullina E.R., Ivanov A.A., Sarieva I.R., Prusova I.S. System Justification theory: a new perspective on the problem of inequality [Elektronnyi resurs]. Sovremennaia zarubezhnaia psikhologiia = Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 2021. Vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 132–141. DOI: 10.17759/jmfp.2021100113. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)
References
- van der Toorn J. et al. A Sense of Powerlessness Fosters System Justification: Implications for the Legitimation of Authority, Hierarchy, and Government. Political Psychology, 2015. Vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 93–110. DOI:10.1111/pops.12183
- Cornelis I. et al. Age Differences in Conservatism: Evidence on the Mediating Effects of Personality and Cognitive Style. Journal of Personality, 2009. Vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 51–88. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00538.x
- Azevedo F., Jost J.T., Rothmund T. “Making America great again”: System justification in the U.S. presidential election of 2016. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2017. Vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 231–240. DOI:10.1037/tps0000122
- Bahamondes-Correa J. System Justification's Opposite Effects on Psychological Wellbeing: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model in a Gay Men and Lesbian Sample in Chile. Journal of homosexuality, 2016. Vol. 63, no. 11, pp. 1537–1555. DOI:10.1080/00918369.2016.1223351
- Blanchar J.C., Eidelman S. Perceived system longevity increases system justification and the legitimacy of inequality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2013. Vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 238–245. DOI:10.1002/ejsp.1960
- Bonnot V., Krauth‐Gruber S. System‐justifying behaviors: When feeling dependent on a system triggers gender stereotype‐consistent academic performance. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2016. Vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 776–782. DOI:10.1002/ejsp.2201
- Brescoll V.L., Uhlmann E.L., Newman G.E. The effects of system-justifying motives on endorsement of essentialist explanations for gender differences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013. Vol. 105, no. 6, pp. 891–908. DOI:10.1037/a0034701
- Caricati L. Testing the Status-Legitimacy Hypothesis: A Multilevel Modelling Approach to the Perception of Legitimacy in Income Distribution in 36 Nations. The Journal of Social Psychology, 2017. Vol. 157, no. 5, pp. 532–540. DOI:10.1080/00224545.2016.1242472
- Carter T.J., Ferguson M.J., Hassin R.R. Implicit nationalism as system justification: The case of the United States of America. Social Cognition, 2011. Vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 341–359. DOI:10.1521/soco.2011.29.3.341
- Durante F., Tablante C.B., Fiske S.T. Poor but Warm, Rich but Cold (and Competent): Social Classes in the Stereotype Content Model. Journal of Social Issues, 2017. Vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 138–157. DOI:10.1111/josi.12208
- Harding J.F., Sibley C.G. The Palliative Function of System Justification: Concurrent Benefits Versus Longer-Term Costs to Wellbeing. Social Indicators Research, 2013. Vol. 113, no. 1, pp. 401–418. DOI:10.1007/s11205-012-0101-1
- Horwitz S.R., Dovidio J.F. The rich—love them or hate them? Divergent implicit and explicit attitudes toward the wealthy. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 2017. Vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 3–31. DOI:10.1177/1368430215596075
- Kay A.C. et al. Inequality, discrimination, and the power of the status quo: Direct evidence for a motivation to view what is as what should be. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2009. Vol. 97, no. 3, pp. 421–434. DOI:10.1037/a0015997
- Jost J.T. A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology, 2019. Vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 263–314. DOI:10.1111/bjso.12297
- Jost J.T., Banaji M.R. The role of stereotyping in system‐justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 1994. Vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 1–27. DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x
- Jost J.T., Hunyady O. The psychology of system justification and the palliative function of ideology. European Review of Social Psychology, 2003. Vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 111–153. DOI:10.1080/10463280240000046
- Jost J.T., Ledgerwood A., Hardin C.D. Shared reality, system justification, and the relational basis of ideological beliefs. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2008. Vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 171–186. DOI:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00056.x
- Jost J.T., Nosek B.A., Gosling S.D. Ideology: Its Resurgence in Social, Personality, and Political Psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2008. Vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 126–136. DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00070.x
- Jost J.T., van der Toorn J. System justification theory. In Van Lange P.A.M., Kruglanski A.W., Higgins E.T. (eds.), Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2012, pp. 313–343. DOI:10.4135/9781446249222.n42
- Kay A.C., Zanna M.P. A Contextual analysis of the system justification motive and its societal consequences. In Jost J.T., Kay A.C., Thorisdottir H. (eds.), Social and Psychological Bases of Ideology and System Justification. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 158–182.
- Laurin K., Gaucher D., Kay A.C. Stability and the justification of social inequality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2013. Vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 246–254. DOI:10.1002/ejsp.1949
- Jost J.T. et al. Missing in (collective) action: Ideology, system justification, and the motivational antecedents of two types of protest behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2017. Vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 99–108. DOI:10.1177/0963721417690633
- Wakslak C. et al. Moral Outrage Mediates the Dampening Effect of System Justification on Support for Redistributive Social Policies. Psychological science, 2007. Vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 267–274. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01887.x
- Hennes E.P. et al. Not all ideologies are created equal: Epistemic, existential, and relational needs predict system-justifying attitudes. Social Cognition, 2012. Vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 669–688. DOI:10.1521/soco.2012.30.6.669
- Pratto F., Sidanius J., Levin S. Social dominance theory and the dynamics of intergroup relations: Taking stock and looking forward. European Review of Social Psychology, 2006. Vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 271–320. DOI:10.1080/10463280601055772
- Newheiser A.K. et al. Preference for high status predicts implicit outgroup bias among children from low-status groups. Developmental Psychology, 2014. Vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 1081–1090. DOI:10.1037/a0035054
- Osborne D. et al. Protesting to challenge or defend the system? A system justification perspective on collective action. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2019. Vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 244–269. DOI:10.1002/ejsp.2522
- Rudman L. A., Feinberg J., Fairchild K. Minority members' implicit attitudes: Automatic ingroup bias as a function of group status. Social Cognition, 2002. Vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 294–320. DOI:10.1521/soco.20.4.294.19908
- Shepherd S., Kay A.C. On the perpetuation of ignorance: System dependence, system justification, and the motivated avoidance of sociopolitical information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012. Vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 264–280. DOI:10.1037/a0026272
- Jost J.T. et al. Social inequality and the reduction of ideological dissonance on behalf of the system: Evidence of enhanced system justification among the disadvantaged. European Journal of Social Psychology, 2003. Vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 13–36. DOI:10.1002/ejsp.127
- Vargas-Salfate S. et al. System justification enhances well-being: A longitudinal analysis of the palliative function of system justification in 18 countries. British Journal of Social Psychology, 2018. Vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 567–590. DOI:10.1111/bjso.12254
- Friesen J.P. et al. System justification: Experimental evidence, its contextual nature, and implications for social change. British Journal of Social Psychology, 2019. Vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 315–339. DOI:10.1111/bjso.12278
- Eliezer D. et al. System-justifying beliefs moderate the relationship between perceived discrimination and resting blood pressure. Social Cognition, 2011. Vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 303–321. DOI:10.1521/soco.2011.29.3.303
- Tajfel H., Turner J.C. The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In Worchel S., Austin W.G. (eds.), The psychology of intergroup relations. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1986, pp. 7–24.
- Li W. et al. Testing the Status-Legitimacy Hypothesis in China: Objective and Subjective Socioeconomic Status Divergently Predict System Justification. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2020. Vol. 46, no. 7, pp. 1044–1058. DOI:10.1177/0146167219893997
- Tan X. et al. The Effects of General System Justification on Corruption Perception and Intent. Frontiers in Psychology, 2016. Vol. 7, article ID 1107, 11 p. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01107
- Kray L.J. et al. The effects of implicit gender Role theories on gender system justification: Fixed beliefs Strengthen masculinity to preserve the status quo. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2017. Vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 98–115. DOI:10.1037/pspp0000124
- Jost J.T. et al. The future of system justification theory. British Journal of Social Psychology, 2019. Vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 382–392. DOI:10.1111/bjso.12309
- Ullrich J., Cohrs J.C. Terrorism salience increases system justification: Experimental evidence. Social Justice Research, 2007. Vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 117–139. DOI:10.1007/s11211-007-0035-y
- Van Zomeren M., Postmes T., Spears R. Toward an Integrative Social Identity Model of Collective Action: A Quantitative Research Synthesis of Three Socio-Psychological Perspectives. Psychological bulletin, 2008. Vol. 134, no. 4, pp. 504–535. DOI:10.1037/0033-2909.134.4.504
- Vasilopoulos P., Brouard S. System Justification and Affective Responses to Terrorism: Evidence from the November 2015 Paris Attacks. Political Psychology, 2020. Vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 569–586. DOI:10.1111/pops.12639
- Yeung A.W.Y., Kay A.C., Peach J.M. Anti-feminist backlash: The role of system justification in the rejection of feminism. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2014. Vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 474–484. DOI:10.1177/1368430213514121
Information About the Authors
Metrics
Views
Total: 1547
Previous month: 82
Current month: 56
Downloads
Total: 702
Previous month: 11
Current month: 4