Developing Perceptions of Justice: A Systematic Literature Review on Just World Beliefs Across Adolescence

The purpose of this article is to organize and synthesize existing studies of justice beliefs across adolescence so that the areas of consensus and divergence become evident and can guide future research questions. The current study followed recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA).

A total of 31 studies were included on the belief in a just world (BJW) in adolescents totaling 55,935 participants. Participants' ages ranged from 8 to 19 years old. Samples were from diverse global regions, not conforming to the pattern of over-sampling affluent, Western populations seen in many literatures.

Twenty-two studies were cross-sectional. Approximately half of the studies revealed a negative correlation between age and justice beliefs, while the rest revealed null results. Yet the studies reported heterogeneity of trajectories within their samples. A p-curve analysis suggested a possible publication bias for Personal-BJW results. Six studies reported BJW measures over at least two time points and four of these studies reported increases over time.

Only four studies followed adolescents' BJW longitudinally for over 1 year. These highlighted that adolescents had different starting points and trajectories depending on their context and opportunities. This review reveals a pattern that older adolescents typically have a lower General BJW. However, longitudinal studies reveal diverse individual trajectories that must be interpreted within each cultural and socioeconomic context. Most of the studies conceptualized BJW as a predictor, a lens through which to view reality. More longitudinal studies are needed to establish when BJW reflects reality or are socially constructed and culturally bound.