Mode of Accomplishing Positive and Negative Outcomes: Its Effect on Fairness Evaluations

In their interactions, people exchange or distribute things that are considered valuable. The distribution of a particular resource can be accomplished in a number of ways and may result in either a positive or a negative outcome. The purpose of this study was to find out if and under what condition...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social justice research 1998-12, Vol.11 (4), p.423-442
Main Authors: Törnblom, Kjell, Ahlin, Elva
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assessment
College Students
Denver, Colorado
Distributive Justice
Equity
Evaluation
Factors
Justice
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear tests
Outcomes
Resource Allocation
Tests
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
United States of America
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Summary:In their interactions, people exchange or distribute things that are considered valuable. The distribution of a particular resource can be accomplished in a number of ways and may result in either a positive or a negative outcome. The purpose of this study was to find out if and under what conditions people's conceptions of justice are similar or different in the contexts of positive and negative outcome allocations. The research is based on Törnblom's (1988) model for positive and negative outcome allocation. Subjects responded to one of eight questionnaires after reading a vignette that described a nuclear test that was conducted in either the United States or Russia. Each questionnaire version differed with respect to whom information about the possible dangers of radiation exposure following the tests should be made available, and whether information or misinformation were delivered or withheld. Findings from this study suggests that positive and negative outcome allocations sometimes follow different and sometimes the same justice principles, all depending on the mode in which the outcome allocation is accomplished. Implications from the design of this study for the interpretation of existing distributive justice and equity studies are also discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0885-7466
1573-6725
DOI:10.1023/A:1022123324011