Nov 15, 2025

PSY 101      Class 34: Social IV: The Just World Phenomenon (Outline)

Prejudice as a Social Attitude

Prejudice: A negative attitude against members of a group

• 1954 Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport argued: Prejudice = "antipathy based on a faulty & inflexible generalization" [antipathy = a deep-seated feeling of dislike or hostility]

• Faulty means it is based on error, lack of facts, rumor, incorrect conclusions

• Inflexible means it is very difficult to change

• Generalization means it extends to most or all members of the group
  

Discrimination: Behaving differently (usually unfairly) toward members of a group.

• When the behavioral tendency of an attitude actually gets put into effect, the prejudice becomes discrimination.

The "Just World" Phenomenon

1. Story of the Woman and the Ferry

Character	Responsibility 1st...2nd...3rd.. etc.
Husband
Wife
Lover 1
Lover 2
Ferry Boat Captain
Thief

2. The Just-World Phenomenon => Belief in a Just World (BJW) means that

    (1) individuals believe that people generally get what they deserve in this world,

    (2) the world itself is seen as stable, orderly, and predictable, and

    (3) if there is evidence or experience to the contrary, people will take very vigorous or
            motivated steps to defend their belief against the evidence.

• Later research suggests a difference between BJW-Self (that we individually experience the world as just) vs. BJW-General (that the whole world itself operates according to principles of justice).
  

Do you believe in a "just world"? Take this quiz and score yourself for how many items out of 6 you agree with.

3. Application: Blaming the victim for their misfortune

• Why are people poor? sick? raped? battered?

This page was originally posted on 11/17/04