Justice Sensitivity in Childhood and Adolescence: Terms of Development and Effects as a Risk and Protective Factor

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Rebecca Bondü
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology ; Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology ; Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 339207502

Justice sensitivity (JS) captures individual differences in the frequency of the perception of injustice and in the intensity of the emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions towards unjust experiences. Up to now, JS has mainly been researched in adult samples and with regard to research questions stemming from social or perceptional psychology. Recent research, however, has yielded evidence that JS may already be measured in late childhood and adolescence and that it relates to different mental problems or problematic behavior patterns in this age range. So far, the focus has been on externalizing problem behavior. The project at hand now strives to research the development of JS in middle childhood, the factors potentially influencing this development, as well as the role of JS as a risk and/or protective factor for internalizing and externalizing problem behavior during childhood and adolescence. To this end, in Substudy 1, existing findings on the relation of JS with mental problems will be extended, using already collected data from the GRK 1668. Longitudinal associations between JS and internalizing problems, such as depression, eating disorders, or self-harm, will be examined and cross-sectional findings on the link between JS and aggression will be replicated using longitudinal data. Up to now, little is known about the genesis and the development von US or about external and internal influences on JS and its development. To close this research gap, in Substudy 2 of the project at hand, a second longitudinal sample with two points of measurement and 800 participants between 6 and 10 years of age will be recruited. With the help of these data, the development of JS as well as potential age and gender differences may be examined already at an early stage of the development, that is, during middle childhood. In addition, links of JS and internal (e.g., empathy, perspective taking, trait anger, executive functions) and external (e.g., parenting behavior, experiences of injustice) potential influencing factors will be investigated. Furthermore, Substudy 2 is designed to explore the relations of JS with moral development as well as potential moderating and mediating factors of its effects. The findings from the study at hand may, therefore, be used to create stronger links between developmental psychology and research on justice-related interindividual difference measures as well as to create a better understanding of JS, factors influencing its genesis during early stages of development, and its effects. Furthermore, the project aims at providing more information for a stronger theoretical foundation of JS and its effects. Finally, findings from this research may be considered in prevention and intervention approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants