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Implicit effects of justice on self-identity
Russell E Johnson1, Robert G Lord
1Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-7200, USA. rjohnson@cas.usf.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|July 8, 2010
Summary
Justice impacts subconscious self-identities, influencing trust and behavior. Experiencing fairness or unfairness activates interdependent and individual identities, with stronger effects at implicit levels.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- The role of justice in shaping human behavior is well-established.
- However, its effects at implicit or subconscious levels remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of experienced justice on implicit and explicit self-identities.
- To examine whether these identity-based effects mediate the relationship between justice and subsequent behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A laboratory experiment was conducted to manipulate perceptions of justice.
- Participants' implicit and explicit self-identities were measured.
- Subsequent trust, cooperative, and counterproductive behaviors were assessed.
Main Results:
- Experiencing fairness and unfairness significantly activated interdependent and individual self-identities, respectively.
- These effects were observed at both implicit and explicit levels, but were more pronounced at the implicit level.
- Identity activation mediated the influence of justice on trust and behavioral outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Justice operates at subconscious levels, influencing self-perceptions.
- Implicit identity processes are crucial mediators of justice's behavioral consequences.
- Findings have implications for understanding social dynamics and designing interventions.
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