Belief in a Just World

Year 2011, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 1 - 14, 01.03.2011

Sibel Kılınç Fuat Torun

Abstract

Belief in a just world hypothesis is defined as the belief that the world is a just place where people generally get what they deserve. It states that individuals have a need to believe that they live in a just world; they believe in a world where people get what they deserve and where people deserve what they get. Individuals believe that who work hard or who perform good acts obtain rewards for their actions, while the sinners and the laggards receive punishments instead. Similarly, individuals want to believe that positive outcomes, whether money, success, or happiness, are obtained only by good people and, conversely, that negative outcomes only happen to bad persons. Justice beliefs have been hypothesized as adaptive for dealing with day-to-day stres. Just world beliefs protect individuals from the daily negative psychological consequences of living in what is realistically an unjust world. In addition, just world beliefs are thought to enhance feelings of security to the extent that if the individual satisfies the conditions for being good he or she is protected from injustice. The belief in a just world, like other positive illusions, should contribute to the maintenance of one's mental health. Belief in a just world's is discussed in two ways: personal belief in a just world's answers the question "how much justly is the world to me?", whereas the belief in a just world's in general answers the question "how much justly is the world?"

Keywords

just world belief, justice, mental health

Adil Dünya İnancı

Abstract

Adil dünya inancı dünyanın adil bir yer olduğu ve insanların neyi hak ederlerse onu buldukları hipotezi üzerine kurulmuştur. İnsanlar iyilerin ödüllendirildiği, kötülerin cezalandırıldığı ve nihayetinde herkesin hak ettiğini aldığı adil bir dünyada yaşıyor olduklarına inanmaya güdülenmişlerdir. İnsanlar, çok çalışan veya iyi davranışlar içinde olanların davranışları sonucunda ödüllendirildiğini, tembel ve günahkarların ise aksine cezalandırılacağına inanma eğilimindedirler. Benzer bir şekilde para, başarı ve mutluluk gibi olumlu sonuçların ancak iyi insanlar tarafından elde edildiğini, olumsuz sonuçların ise kötü kişilerin başına geldiğine inanırlar. Adil dünya inancı insanları geleceğin belirsizliğinden koruyan, ön görülemeyen olayların kurbanı olmayacaklarını düşündüren önemli bir adaptasyon işlevi görmektedir. Adil dünya inancı da diğer pozitif yanılsamalar gibi kişinin ruh sağlığının korunmasında olumlu işlevler görür. Adil dünya inancı literatürde iki yönlü olarak ele alınmıştır. Bireysel adil dünya inancı, "dünya bana ne kadar adil?" sorusunun cevabını verirken; genel adil dünya inancı: "dünya ne kadar adil?" sorusunun cevabını vermektedir.

Keywords

adil dünya inancı, adalet, ruh sağlığı

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