THE BELIEF IN A JUST WORLD AND PERCEPTIONS OF DISCRIMINATION

We examined the relationship between the belief in a just world and fr equency of self-reported acts of personal discrimination. American adu lts with a strong belief in a just world reported fewer acts of person al discrimination against themselves than those with a weak belief in a just world. Among the various domains of discrimination, the belief in a just world correlated most strongly with religious discrimination . People with a strong belief in a just world felt that they would be less likely to provide special programs and funding based solely on a person's age; they did not feel that age discrimination was prevalent in American society.