Just deserts: An experimental study of distributive justice norms

John T. Scott, Richard E. Matland, Philip A. Michelbach, Brian H. Bornstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

103 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a theoretically informed experimental study of distributive justice norms concerning income distribution. Our study consists of three related experiments that examine how individuals use four distinct allocation principles derived from both normative and empirical research - equality, merit, need, and efficiency - under a condition of impartiality. Our experiments are designed to investigate these principles and to determine how independent factors influence how individuals use them. We find that individuals tend to use all or most of these principles simultaneously in making distributive justice judgments, but that they weigh them differently according to various factors. In particular, we find an expectedly strong difference between how women and men use and weigh these principles. This gender difference parallels - and may even underlie - the gender gap observed in political and policy preferences.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)749-767
Number of pages19
JournalAmerican Journal of Political Science
Volume45
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Political Science and International Relations

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Just deserts: An experimental study of distributive justice norms'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this