Just World Phenomenon Analysis

You think the world is ultimately a just place; you will have a tendency to look for reasons to blame victims of inexplicable injustices. This is the concept of the cognitive bias “Just World Phenomenon”. The following example of Just World Phenomenon was presented to us while discussing the lecture on the different classifications of cognitive bias. During the discussion of Just World Phenomenon, examples were lacking to further explain, in more depth, about the actual bias. Curiosity was brought to my attention on the matter, wanting to comprehend the bias more thoroughly. In the novel “Riveted” by Dr. Jim Davies, a whole chapter is devoted to the topic of Cognitive Bias, and Just World Phenomenon is one of the many biases in chapter six.

Davies. In the novel, he provides an even more thorough explanation of the Just World Phenomenon. Just World Phenomenon is the tendency people have to blame victims, based on the assumption that the world is a just place. This is the definition of Just World Phenomenon that Doctor Davies provides in Riveted. This bias clearly outlines that an individual will receive what they deserve for doing something in their past. To better understand this concept imagine an individual is raped and the news about this spreads around; people will automatically think of reasons as to why that individual deserves to be raped. In this situation, if an individual is thinking in a Just World Phenomenon, their thoughts towards the rape would be wondering what actions she must have displayed in her past to deserve to be raped. “Amy is watching Bob cook, Bob gets burnt by the hot frying pan. Amy assumes this is because Bob did something mean to Amy's friend Charles” (Wikipedia). Amy is going through the Just World Phenomenon, as she believes that Bob getting burnt by the frying pan is due to his behaviors toward Amy’s friend Charles. Amy thinks that this is a punishment given to Bob in return for being rude to Charles. This example provides an effective understanding to the bias as it demonstrates what Bob got in return for being cruel to Amy’s friend Charles. You should explain

With the research given in the novel, it allows the readers an even more in depth understanding of the concept. The research that is included in Riveted was done by a Psychologist named Laurent Begun. Begue states that, with the support of his study on Just World Phenomenon, “people who did not give to a beggar were more likely to believe in a just world than those who did not, presumably because they thought the panhandler got what he or she deserved”. To break the study down, it displays that most individuals who pass by a homeless man/woman, are automatically to think that they must have done something wrong in the past to be living the lifestyle that they are currently living. Begue does further studies on this Just World Phenomenon as well and gives examples as to why we should live through the Just World Phenomenon bias. He states through his studies “that people need to believe in a just world; thus, evidence that the world is not just is threatening, and people have a number of strategies for reducing such threats” (APA Psych Net). Begue believes that a Just World is playing it safe; it makes individuals become more aware of who is surrounding us, providing us with additional information regarding this