title: Moral outrage mediates the dampening effect of system justification on support for redistributive social policies.
abstract: To understand how and why people tolerate ongoing social and economic inequality, we conducted two studies investigating the hypothesis that system justification is associated with reduced emotional distress and a lack of support for helping the disadvantaged. In Study 1, we found that the endorsement of a system-justifying ideology was negatively associated with moral outrage, existential guilt, and support for helping the disadvantaged. In Study 2, the induction of a system-justification mind-set through exposure to "rags-to-riches" narratives decreased moral outrage, negative affect, and therefore intentions to help the disadvantaged. In both studies, moral outrage (outward-focused distress) was found to mediate the dampening effect of system justification on support for redistribution, whereas existential guilt (Study 1) or negative affect in general (Study 2; inward-focused distress) did not. Thus, system-justifying ideology appears to undercut the redistribution of social and economic resources by alleviating moral outrage.
authors: New York University, New York, NY 10003-6634, USA.
authors: Cheryl J
authors: CJ
authors: Wakslak
authors: John T
authors: JT
authors: Jost
authors: Tom R
authors: TR
authors: Tyler
authors: Emmeline S
authors: ES
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D011640:Public Policy; D012935:Social Justice / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012945:Social Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*