System-justifying beliefs and psychological well-being: the roles of group status and identity.
This research examined the relationship between endorsing system-justifying beliefs and psychological well-being among individuals from ethnic groups that vary in social status. System-justifying beliefs are beliefs that imply that status in society is fair, deserved, and merited; examples of system-justifying beliefs in the United States include the beliefs that hard work pays off and that anyone can get ahead regardless of their group membership. We found that endorsing system-justifying beliefs was negatively related to psychological well-being among members of low-status groups who were highly identified with their group but positively related to well-being among members of low-status groups who were not highly identified with their ethnic group. In addition, we found that endorsing system-justifying beliefs was positively related to well-being among members of high-status groups, especially among members of high-status groups who were highly identified with the group.
O'Brien
Laurie T
LT
Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
Major
Brenda
B
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011287:Prejudice; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D012933:Social Identification; D012935:Social Justice