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How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude

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Listed:
  • Feng Jiang
  • Xiaodong Yue
  • Su Lu
  • Guangtao Yu
  • Fei Zhu

Abstract

Past research suggests that individuals’ belief in a just world (BJW) is closely connected with their mental health. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the current study proposes that BJW encourages optimism and gratitude which then mediates the relationship between BJW and mental health as indicated by subjective well-being (SWB) and depression. A sample of 1,200 undergraduates yields results indicating that (a) BJW influences optimism, gratitude, SWB, and depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and personality; (b) optimism and gratitude mediate BJW effects by increasing SWB and decreasing depression. The issues of BJW’s adaptive functions are discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Feng Jiang & Xiaodong Yue & Su Lu & Guangtao Yu & Fei Zhu, 2016. "How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 411-423, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:126:y:2016:i:1:p:411-423
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ed Diener & Eunkook Suh & Heidi Smith & Liang Shao, 1995. "National differences in reported subjective well-being: Why do they occur?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 7-32, January.
    2. Michael Eid & Ed Diener, 2004. "Global Judgments of Subjective Well-Being: Situational Variability and Long-Term Stability," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 245-277, February.
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    1. Juliane Wiese & Nattavudh Powdthavee, 2023. "How effective are covid-19 vaccine health messages in reducing vaccine skepticism? Heterogeneity in messages effectiveness by just world beliefs," Papers 2301.03303, arXiv.org.
    2. Wiese, Juliane V., 2023. "Karma and honest behavior: An experimental study," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    3. Yanju Zhou & Yi Yu & Xiaohong Chen & Xiongwei Zhou, 2020. "Guanxi or Justice? An Empirical Study of WeChat Voting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 201-225, June.
    4. Rehana Shrestha & Klaus Telkmann & Benjamin Schüz & Pramesh Koju & Reshma Shrestha & Biraj Karmacharya & Gabriele Bolte, 2022. "Measuring Environmental Justice in Real Time: A Pilot Study Using Digital Participatory Method in the Global South, Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Alicia Georghiades & Francisco José Eiroa-Orosa, 2020. "A Randomised Enquiry on the Interaction Between Wellbeing and Citizenship," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2115-2139, August.

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