Cognitive Biases: Just World Hypothesis (HL IB Psychology)
Revision Note
Cognitive Biases: Just World Hypothesis
What is cognitive bias?
A cognitive bias is a faulty or distorted way of perceiving or understanding the world
A cognitive bias is a kind of heuristic i.e. a short-cut way of thinking which minimises cognitive effort and energy and maximises quick, easy solutions to problems and to decision-making
Cognitive biases are not the same as prejudice or discrimination, but it could be argued that they contribute to the formation of stereotypes and to the establishment and perpetuation of limited, sometimes harmful, problematic attitudes
Cognitive biases include (but are not limited to)
illusory correlation;
confirmation bias;
the availability heuristic;
anchoring bias;
the just-world hypothesis (which is covered in a separate Cognitive Bias Revision Note in the Reliability of Cognitive Processes)
A cognitive bias has the characteristics of System 1 thinking (see the Revision Note on Thinking & Decision-Making: the Dual Process Model included in Cognitive Processing) in that it is based on intuitive, automatic thinking which requires little or no analysis or reflection
What is the Just-World Hypothesis?
The Just-World Hypothesis (JWH), proposed by Lerner (1960) is a cognitive bias theory based on the (mistaken) idea that the world is a fair place in which good people are rewarded and bad people are punished (‘just’ i.e. that justice will be done)
The JWH can be explained in terms of people wishing to believe in a rational world which (to them at least) makes sense because the alternative (that bad things do happen to good people) is a frightening one to contemplate
The JWH is a factor in victim-blaming - i.e. if the world is a fair and just place then bad things should only happen to bad people, so if someone is homeless then they’ve probably brought it on themselves; if a woman is attacked then she probably encouraged the attack via her clothing or behaviour; if someone collapses on the pavement then they’re probably drunk, it’s their own fault etc.
Victim-blaming also involves finding reasons not to help people who are not ‘worthy’ of help because (according to the JWH) they have contributed to their own hardship or misfortune
This can make the individual feel better about not helping them, as it eases the burden of guilt
The JWH may be explained as a means by which people avoid having to dwell on their own vulnerability as potential victims of crime or disaster - i.e. hearing about increasing poverty levels in their own country might lead to thoughts such as, "I work hard, that could never happen to me. Those people who can’t pay their bills must be lazy."
The JWH may also be explained as a mechanism used to manage anxiety as it (mistakenly) enables the individual to feel that the world is a safe place as long as they behave in a way which will protect them from harm - i.e. by being a ‘good’ person
Is he drunk – or ill? And will this determine the type of help (if any) he is given?
Which research studies investigate the just-world hypothesis?
Piliavin et al. (1969) – the JWH is a factor in the type of victim who is given help (drunk or disabled)
Piliavin et al. (1969) is available as a separate Key Study – just navigate the Reliability of Cognitive Processes section of this topic to find it (Two Key Studies of Cognitive Biases)
Exam Tip
The JWH and Piliavin et al.’s (1969) study are also relevant to the Year 2 Relationships topic (Social Responsibility) so you can ‘double up’ this study for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 topics
Worked Example
ERQ (Extended Response Question) - 22 marks
Discuss one or more cognitive biases. [22]
This essay question requires you to examine research in the light of specific theories.
Have a look at these paragraphs for an example of how to analyse the theory and also how to conclude an essay (something which students often struggle to do successfully):
The just-world hypothesis – that victim-blaming may account for the lack of help in the ‘drunk’ condition – may not be the only explanation for Piliavin et al.’s (1969) findings. An alternative explanation might be that people are more likely to be wary of someone who appears to be drunk: their behaviour may be unpredictable; they may turn violent; they may vomit, all of which may well put people off helping them. Additionally, the ‘drunk’ condition was used on 38 trials compared to the 65 trials for the ‘cane’ condition: if an equal number of trials had been used for each condition, then the results would be more comparable. It is also possible that some participants may have witnessed the procedure more than once as it was run on the same stretch of track over a period of a few months which would give rise to demand characteristics possibly resulting in a disinclination to help.
In conclusion there appears to be some strong evidence to suggest that the just-world hypothesis is a key factor in victim-blaming as evidenced in the lower number of people who helped in the ‘drunk’ condition. Piliavin’s research does point to the just-world hypothesis as one valid explanation of bystanderism based on type of victim and their ‘worthiness’ in terms of how much people perceive that they have contributed to their own misfortune.
Did this page help you?