Just-World Hypothesis

Definition

The just-world hypothesis is a cognitive bias that suggests that people get what they deserve in life, leading to assumptions that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.

Related terms

Fundamental Attribution Error:

This is when we overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others' behavior.

Victim Blaming: This refers to the tendency for people to blame victims for their own misfortunes, based on the belief in a just world.

Cognitive Bias:

These are systematic errors in thinking that affect the decisions and judgments that people make.