EFFECTS OF JUSTICE BELIEFS ON COGNITIVE APPRAISAL OF AND SUBJECTIVE, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSES TO POTENTIAL STRESS

This study investigated the moderating role of just world beliefs on s tress and coping processes. Ss high and low in belief in a just world were asked to perform a potentially stressful laboratory task, which w as repeated once. Cognitive appraisals and subjective, autonomic, and behavioral responses were recorded for each of the two tasks. The resu lts supported a stress-moderating effect for just world beliefs. Indiv iduals high in just world beliefs had more benign cognitive appraisals of the stress tasks, rated the tasks as less stressful post hoc, had autonomic reactions consistent with challenge (vs. threat), and outper formed Ss low in just world beliefs. Discussion centers on factors tha t moderate the experiences of challenge and threat in potentially stre ssful situations.