MICROJUSTICE AND MACROJUSTICE IN THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS

Allocations between experimental groups were hypothesized to be affect ed by (a) the type of resource being allocated and (b) whether allocat ions were for groups as whole units or for individuals within the grou ps. U.S. college students (N = 79) were asked to allocate a property f or individual use (money) and a property for social power (calculator time), between either two individuals or two groups. Respondents alloc ated more money than calculator time to members of a numerical majorit y group, but only when allocations were made between groups. This patt ern of data reached statistical significance for members of the majori ty and control groups but not for members of the minority group. The e vidence suggests that intergroup allocations reflect fairness norms (s uch as proportionality and equality between groups) as well as in-grou p favoritism.