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All Reviews
Psychology
intermediate

Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead.

Melvin J. Lerner & Dale T. Miller (1978)

Published
Sep 1, 1978
Journal
Psychological Bulletin · Vol. 85 · No. 5
DOI
10.1037/0033-2909.85.5.1030

At a GlanceAI

A foundational review clarifying how belief in a just world shapes attribution of others’ outcomes and guiding future just-world research.

SummaryAI

This Psychological Bulletin review synthesizes early evidence that belief in a just world influences how people explain others’ suffering and success, often via victim-blaming or merit-based attributions. It matters because it links a broad moral belief to concrete attribution processes that can legitimize inequality and reduce empathy for victims. The article also identifies gaps and directions for future work, helping set an agenda for theory and research on when and why just-world motives bias judgment.

Method SnapshotAI

Narrative/theoretical review integrating prior just-world and attribution findings and proposing future research directions.

BackgroundAI

Basic social psychology of attribution and familiarity with the belief in a just world construct.