A fair go? How belief in a just world shaped attitudes, intentions, and behaviors before and after the Australian referendum on a First Nations voice to parliament

Abstract

AbstractIn October 2023, Australia voted on whether to enshrine in the constitution an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander “Voice” to Parliament. Debate around the Voice raised questions of justice and deservingness for a marginalized group within Australian society. The belief in a just world, the perception of fairness in this world for others (BJW‐other) and the self (BJW‐self), was, therefore, central to how people formed and expressed their opinions. In this longitudinal study (N = 253), we examined associations between BJW‐other, BJW‐self, and attitudes, intentions, and actions towards the Voice before and after the vote. Analysis indicated broadly negative associations between T1 BJW‐other and pro‐Voice outcomes (at both timepoints), while BJW‐self was positively related. Findings were, however, inconsistent when controlling for a broad range of sociopolitical covariates. These findings make an important contribution to justice motive theory by illustrating the role of justice beliefs in the political context.