Analysis of the relationships between sensitivity to injustice, principles of justice and belief in a just world

Injustice appears to be a major variable in the analysis of transgressive behaviour. Theories and studies of injustice differ according to how injustice is conceptualised: contextually or personally. In the first case, the judgement of injustice results from an evaluation of situational characteristics (inequity, inequality, arbitrariness etc.). In the second case, factors related to personality (belief in a just world, sensitivity to injustice) are assumed to modify perceptions of justice or injustice and reactions to it. Although at first glance these approaches seem to be opposed, morality may be a point in common. This study of high school students aimed to identify the relationships between the variables of contextual injustice (principles of equity, equality or need operating in the evaluation of a situation) and those of personal injustice (sensitivity to injustice and belief in a just world), with reference to the literature on morality. Ten volunteers participated in semi-structured interviews. An interview guide was developed to identify the preferred principles used to assess the injustice of a situation, the intensity of sensitivity to injustice, and the strength of the belief in a just world. The analysis showed that the equity principle was highly associated with high sensitivity to injustice on the victim dimension and a strong belief in a just world. This profile indicated a focus on personal interests and characterised self-centred morality. In contrast, equality and need principles were related to high sensitivity to injustice on the observer and beneficiary dimensions and a weak belief in a just world. These factors indicated capacities for selflessness and empathy and reflected altruistic morality.