A Status Theory of Justice, Punishment, and Cooperation

• In Event: 212 - Section on Inequality, Poverty and Mobility Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 08. Policy and Politics II

Abstract

This project investigates the perceptual, emotional, and behavioral effects of status hierarchies in situations where the conflict between self-interests and collective-interests results in injustice. Cooperation is vital for the survival of societies, but many social exchange settings may include incentives for members not to contribute, or contribute less than other group members, while experiencing equal benefits. If some members receive undeserved rewards by free-riding, exploited members evaluate the situation as unjust. Those who perceive injustice are more likely to react to injustice and less motivated to cooperate in the future. Therefore, free-riding should be addressed in any situations of social cooperation as a justice issue. Also, previous research has shown that perceived justice may vary in accordance with status positions in a group.
Theories integrating status influences on perceptions of justice have been explored. However, this will be the first attempt to develop an application of these theories to the situations where free-riding can occur. Thus, this study provides new perspectives to the research on social dilemmas and broader applications to the status-related justice theories. Additionally, by illuminating the importance of disadvantaged parties’ justice evaluations and behaviors, which are often neglected in focusing on active free-riders, we open new approach to research and resolutions of the free-riding problem. We develop hypotheses regarding the effects of status on perceptions of justice and subsequent behavioral outcomes, such as punitive reactions and cooperative behaviors, resulting from free-riding behaviors and these predictions will be tested by using a standardized experimental method.

Author

• Hatice Atilgan, University of South Carolina