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Time frame and justice motive: Future perspective moderates the adaptive function of general belief in a just world.

Wu, Michael Shengtao, Sutton, Robbie M., Yan, Xiaodan, Zhou, Chan, Chen, Yiwen, Zhu, Zhuohong, Han, Buxin (2013) Time frame and justice motive: Future perspective moderates the adaptive function of general belief in a just world. PLoS ONE, . ISSN 1932-6203. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080668) (KAR id:35995)

Abstract

Background: The human ability to envision the future, that is, to take a future perspective (FP), plays a key role in the justice motive and its function in transcending disadvantages and misfortunes. The present research investigated whether individual (Study 1) and situational (Study 2) differences in FP moderated the association of general belief in a just world (GBJW) with psychological resilience.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated FP, GBJW, and resilience in samples of adolescents (n = 223) and disaster survivors (n = 218) in China. In Study 1, adolescents revealed stronger GBJW than PBJW, and GBJW uniquely predicted resilience in the daily lives of those with high FP (but not those with low FP). In Study 2, natural priming of FP (vs. no FP) facilitated the association of GBJW with resilience after disaster.

Conclusions/Significance: Supporting predictions, participants endorsed GBJW more strongly than PBJW. Further, GBJW interacted with FP in both studies, such that there was an association between GBJW and resilience at high but not low levels of FP. The results corroborate recent findings suggesting that GBJW may be more psychologically adaptive than PBJW among some populations. They also confirm that focusing on the future is an important aspect of the adaptive function of just-world beliefs.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080668
Uncontrolled keywords: Future Perspective; General Belief in a Just World; Resilience; Disadvantage
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Robbie Sutton
Date Deposited: 05 Nov 2013 00:32 UTC
Last Modified: 05 Nov 2024 10:19 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/35995 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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