The just world hypothesis and the attribution of agency to a victim
Part of : Επιθεώρηση κοινωνικών ερευνών ; Vol.26/27, 1976, pages 157-161
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157-161
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A study was designed to test the just world hypothesis ina situation where the derogation of an innocent victim wassocially proscribed. In a 3 X 2 design, experimental subjectswere asked to indicate their affect for an alleged victim ofNazi atrocities. In one condition, the victim supposedly receivedsevere maltreatment. In the two remaining conditions,the severity of the maltreatment was either moderate or low.It was predicted that, contrary to the just world hypothesis,increased severity of maltreatment of the innocent victimwould not result in his increased derogation. Rather, it was predictedthat the restoration of justice would be realized by theattribution of increased agency of the victim in his suffering anddecreased attribution to him as a victim of circumstance, asthe severity of the suffering increased. The results supportedthe predictions, though the increased attribution of agencyand decreased attribution of victimization by circumstancewere found only in the case of extreme severity of maltreatment.
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