Just-World phenomenon facts for kids

The Just-World phenomenon is an idea some people have. It's when they believe that good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people. It's like thinking everyone gets what they deserve. If something bad happens to someone, a person using this idea might think that person must have done something wrong. If something good happens, they might think that person must have done something right. This idea is a bit like Karma, but it's more of a common superstition than a religious belief.

Understanding the Just-World Phenomenon with Examples

Sometimes it's easier to understand ideas with examples. Here are a few ways the Just-World phenomenon might show up in everyday life:

Example 1: The Burnt Hand

• Imagine Amy sees her friend Bob cooking. Bob accidentally touches a hot frying pan and gets a small burn. Amy might then think, "Bob must have done something mean to Charles, so he deserved to get burned." In this case, Amy is using the Just-World phenomenon. Bob's burn was just an accident, not a punishment for being mean to Charles.

Example 2: The Static Shock

• Albert is watching Brianna walk across a room. When Brianna touches a doorknob, she gets a small shock from static electricity. Albert might think, "Brianna doesn't give money to charity, so she deserved that shock." But the truth is, Brianna got shocked because she walked across the carpet in socks, which builds up static electricity. It had nothing to do with whether she gives to charity.

Example 3: The Lottery Win

• Brianna sees Albert buy a lottery ticket. Later, Albert wins the lottery! Brianna might think, "Albert won because he was so polite and said 'thank you' when he bought the ticket." While it's nice to be polite, winning the lottery is completely random and has nothing to do with good manners.

Related Ideas

• Karma