System justification enhances well‐being: A longitudinal analysis of the palliative function of system justification in 18 countries

Salfate, Salvador Vargas; Páez, Darío; Khan, Sammyh S.; Liu, James H.; Zúñiga, Homero Gil de

doi:10.1111/bjso.12254

Cited by 60 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 68 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Consistent with this hypothesis, Harding and Sibley () have reported longitudinal negative effects of system justification on well‐being amongst the disadvantaged (see also Godfrey, Santos, & Burson, ). However, recent evidence from 18 nations shows the opposite pattern: system justification had a longitudinal positive effect on well‐being regardless of whether people were advantaged or disadvantaged in the system (Vargas‐Salfate, Paez, Khan, Liu, & Gil de Zúñiga, ). Hence, even the time‐course palliation hypothesis has generated mixed evidence.…”

Section: The System Justification Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting 25 years of system motivation explanation for system justification from the perspective of social identity model of system attitudes

Owuamalam

Rubin

Spears

2018

British J Social Psychol

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Do the disadvantaged have an autonomous system justification motivation that operates against their personal and group interests? System justification theory (SJT; Jost & Banaji, 1994, Br. J. Soc. Psychol, 33, 1) proposes that they do and that this motivation helps to (1) reduce cognitive dissonance and associated uncertainties and (2) soothe the pain that is associated with knowing that one's group is subject to social inequality. However, 25 years of research on this system justification motivation has given rise to several theoretical and empirical inconsistencies. The present article argues that these inconsistencies can be resolved by a social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA; Owuamalam, Rubin, & Spears, 2018, Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci, 27, 91). SIMSA assumes that instances of system justification are often in alignment with (rather than opposed to) the interests of the disadvantaged. According to SIMSA, the disadvantaged may support social systems (1) in order to acknowledge social reality, (2) when they perceive the wider social system to constitute a superordinate ingroup, and (3) because they hope to improve their ingroup's status through existing channels in the long run. These propositions are corroborated by existing and emerging evidence. We conclude that SIMSA offers a more coherent and parsimonious explanation for system justification than does SJT.

show abstract

Section: The System Justification Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting 25 years of system motivation explanation for system justification from the perspective of social identity model of system attitudes

Owuamalam

Rubin

Spears

2018

British J Social Psychol

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Kinnvall () proposes that the ontological insecurity, which can accompany rising inequality, drives people towards identities that provide security. Similarly, system justification and social identity theorists argue that people's allegiance to ideological positions become stronger as this provides support in threatening contexts (Schmid & Muldoon, ; Vargas‐Salfate, Paez, Khan, Liu, & Gil de Zúñiga, ). In this respect, constructions of nation states and their associated national identities—with omnipresent reminders of their permanence—can offer security, but they are also used to naturalise and homogenise national groups (Billig, ; Stevenson & Muldoon, ).…”

Section: National Identification As a Response To Perceived Threats Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic inequality and the rise of far‐right populism: A social psychological analysis

Jay

Batruch

Jetten

et al. 2019

Community & Applied Soc Psy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is argued that far-right (FR) populism in the West is fuelled by inequality. In this paper, we argue that three social psychological processes are central to explaining these phenomena. We suggest that these processes are recursive although we do not specify their temporal order.Drawing on the social identity tradition, we first examine how inequality is linked to reduced social trust and cohesion, which has consequences for both low-and highincome groups. We examine the known effects of perceived threat in amplifying tensions between groups and consolidating identity positions. Second, we argue that national identity consolidation is a particularly likely response to inequality, which, in turn, reduces tolerance of cultural diversity as an associated consequence. Finally, we consider the value of these strengthened national identities to those who harness them effectively to gain political ground. In this way, those who offer FR populist rhetoric aligned with nationalism can blame immigrants, "foreign" powers, and mainstream politics for both the lack of social cohesion and reduced economic circumstances of many. We conclude that FR populist leaders not only tap into the negative social consequences of inequality, their policy positions also fail to address and may even compound the situation.---

show abstract

“…Another major tenet of the theory is that system justification serves the palliative function of making people feel better about the societal status quo (Jost & Hunyady, ; see also Hammond & Sibley, ; Napier, Thorisdottir, & Jost, ; Vargas‐Salfate, Paez, Khan, Liu, & Gil de Zúñiga, ). The idea is somewhat reminiscent of Karl Marx's famous quip that religious ideology is the ‘opiate of the masses' – that it placates and palliates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications

Jost

2018

British J Social Psychol

326

378

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A theory of system justification was proposed 25 years ago by Jost and Banaji (1994, Br. J. Soc. Psychol., 33, 1) in the British Journal of Social Psychology to explain 'the participation by disadvantaged individuals and groups in negative stereotypes of themselves' and the phenomenon of outgroup favouritism. The scope of the theory was subsequently expanded to account for a much wider range of outcomes, including appraisals of fairness, justice, legitimacy, deservingness, and entitlement; spontaneous and deliberate social judgements about individuals, groups, and events; and full-fledged political and religious ideologies. According to system justification theory, people are motivated (to varying degrees, depending upon situational and dispositional factors) to defend, bolster, and justify aspects of existing social, economic, and political systems. Engaging in system justification serves the palliative function of increasing satisfaction with the status quo and addresses underlying epistemic, existential, and relational needs to reduce uncertainty, threat, and social discord. This article summarizes the major tenets of system justification theory, reviews some of the empirical evidence supporting it, answers new (and old) questions and criticisms, and highlights areas of societal relevance and directions for future research.Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, And you think you're so clever and classless and free. . .. (John Lennon, 'Working Class Hero')Learning to love the questions A theory of system justification was proposed by Jost and Banaji (1994) in a special issue of the British Journal of Social Psychology (BJSP) devoted to the structure and functions of social stereotyping. In that article, which is now 'celebrating' its 25th anniversary, we conjectured that in addition to ego-justifying and group-justifying tendencies to defend and rationalize the interests and esteem of the self and the ingroup, respectively, people exhibit system-justifying tendencies to defend and rationalize existing social, economic, and political arrangementssometimes even at the expense of individual and collective self-interest. Specifically, we felt that existing theories in social psychology did not

show abstract

System justification enhances well‐being: A longitudinal analysis of the palliative function of system justification in 18 countries

Cited by 60 publications

References 68 publications

Revisiting 25 years of system motivation explanation for system justification from the perspective of social identity model of system attitudes

Revisiting 25 years of system motivation explanation for system justification from the perspective of social identity model of system attitudes

Economic inequality and the rise of far‐right populism: A social psychological analysis

A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About