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Accounting for group differences in appraisals of social inequality: Differential injustice standards
Author(s) -
Miron Anca M.,
Warner Ruth H.,
Branscombe Nyla R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2010.02009.x
Subject(s) - injustice , disadvantaged , psychology , social psychology , differential (mechanical device) , inequality , social injustice , perception , economic justice , distributive justice , differential item functioning , developmental psychology , political science , psychometrics , law , mathematical analysis , mathematics , engineering , neuroscience , politics , item response theory , aerospace engineering
We tested whether differential appraisals of inequality are a function of the injustice standards used by different groups. A confirmatory standard of injustice is defined as the amount of evidence needed to arrive at the conclusion that injustice has occurred. Consistent with a motivational shifting of standards view, we found that advantaged and disadvantaged group members set different standards of injustice when judging the magnitude of gender (Study 1) and racial (Study 2) wage inequality. In addition, because advantaged and disadvantaged group members formed – based on their differential standards – divergent appraisals of wage inequality, they experienced differential desire to restore inter‐group justice. We discuss the implications of promoting low confirmatory standards for changing perceptions of social reality and for motivating justice‐restorative behaviour.