Equity rewards the true self: True-self attributions drive perceptions of equity-based justice

This article proposes that true-self attributions drive equity judgments. I hypothesize that attributing an individual's input (e.g., their individual work performance) to their true self makes that input seem more informative about the person, which, in turn, leads to higher perceived equity-based justice and support for proportionally rewarding that input (e.g., a pay-for-performance policy). Four studies in the main article and three studies in the Supplemental Material (N = 5,972) tested this claim. Studies 1 and 2 found that true-self attributions for individuals' inputs had a causal effect on perceived equity-based justice of and support for a proportional distribution policy and that perceived informativeness of those inputs mediated this effect. Study 3 next manipulated the informativeness of individuals' inputs and found a direct causal effect on equity-based justice and support for proportional distribution policies, even while holding constant related attributional dimensions such as controllability. Study 4 then provided ecologically valid evidence for the hypothesis using a nationally representative correlational survey. Implications for research on the true self, essentialism, equity-based distributive justice, and merit are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).