University of Twente Student Theses
When the World is Just: How Belief in a Just World Shapes Attitudes Towards Restorative Justice and Punitive Sentencing
Lauber, P. (2025) When the World is Just: How Belief in a Just World Shapes Attitudes Towards Restorative Justice and Punitive Sentencing.
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| Abstract: | When aiming to prevent crime and foster restorative justice approaches, it is necessary to understand how societal beliefs about the causes of criminal behaviour shape support for several justice systems. This study investigated Belief in a Just World (BJW), a concept that assumes that individuals generally get what they deserve in life. It was hypothesized that the relationship between BJW and acceptance towards restorative justice (DV1) and punitive sentencing (DV2) is mediated by internal and external attributions to crime. A convenience sample of predominantly German citizens (N = 123) completed an online survey assessing BJW, attributions of criminal responsibility, attitudes towards restorative justice, and punitive sentencing. Results revealed internal attributions mediating BJW and punitive sentencing, while external attributions fully mediated BJW and acceptance towards restorative justice. Specifically, individuals believing the world is a just place attributed crime to more internal factors and less to external factors, leading them to favour punitiveness more and accept restorative justice less. These results illuminate how societal beliefs about justness and attributional processes foster systemic injustice. Addressing and challenging these concepts could increase people’s openness to restorative justice approaches, which may lead towards more effective practices in crime prevention. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106307 |
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