A cross-cultural investigation of beliefs about justice in China, USA and South Africa

Abstract

Prescriptive beliefs pertaining to justice delineate the fair outcomes that an individual should receive. In contrast, descriptive beliefs pertaining to justice reflect expectations regarding the outcomes an individual actually will receive. This study examines the cultural determinants of prescriptive and descriptive beliefs pertaining to justice. It was assumed that prescriptive beliefs pertaining to justice are based on internalized cultural values, whereas descriptive beliefs pertaining to justice are more likely to reflect the recent conditions that actually characterize an individual’s cultural environment. On this basis, it was predicted that (a) prescriptive and descriptive beliefs would possess both a generally perceived (or commonly shared) component and a culture-specific component, and (b) culture would impact prescriptive and descriptive beliefs differently. A cross-cultural comparison of justice beliefs among US, South African, and Chinese participants confirmed these predictions. Cautionary notes and implications are also discussed.