BELIEF IN A JUST WORLD AND ATTITUDES TOWARD IMMIGRANTS AND FOREIGN-WORKERS - A CULTURAL COMPARISON BETWEEN HAWAII AND GERMANY

University students in Hawaii (N = 171) and in Germany (N = 61) comple ted the 6-item Belief in a Just World Scale (BJWS; Dalbert, Montada, & Schmitt, 1987), an instrument developed in Germany to measure general just world belief. Results indicated that the BJWS is equally well su ited to measure just world belief in an American sample. Subjects also completed a short instrument to assess justice judgments about the si tuation of a disadvantaged group (in Hawaii: Pacific Island immigrants ; in Germany: foreign workers). For both samples, the disadvantaged gr oup's situation was judged as more just by subjects with a greater bel ief in a just world and by those who were more socially similar to the disadvantaged group. Compared to students in Germany, those from Hawa ii held stronger beliefs in a just world. Results were discussed in te rms of generality and cultural specifity of the just world belief.