- Title
- Addressing Evidential and Theoretical Inconsistencies in System-Justification Theory with a Social Identity Model of System Attitudes
- Creator
- Owuamalam, Chuma Kevin; Rubin, Mark; Spears, Russell
- Relation
- Current Directions in Psychological Science Vol. 27, Issue 2, p. 91-96
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0963721417737136
- Publisher
- Sage
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2018
- Description
- System-justification theory (SJT) proposes that people have an inherent motive to support societal systems, even at the expense of their personal and group interests. However, the evidence for this system-justification motive is mixed, and a close examination of the relevant propositions yields some important theoretical inconsistencies. To address this mixed evidence and theoretical inconsistency, we introduce a social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA). SIMSA integrates a cluster of different social identity processes and proposes that system justification can occur among members of low-status groups (a) because of a passive reflection of social reality, (b) as a form of in-group bias (at the superordinate level), and (c) in the hope that in-group advancement is possible in the future within the prevailing system. We conclude that SIMSA provides a more comprehensive and theoretically consistent explanation of system justification than SJT.
- Subject
- social identity theory; systems justification; social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA); legitimacy and stability
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1466254
- Identifier
- uon:47482
- Identifier
- ISSN:0963-7214
- Language
- eng
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