just world hypothesis

Meaning: The just world hypothesis, proposed by Melvin Lerner, is the belief that the world is fair, so good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. It is a bias in social perception. When someone suffers, observers often look for a flaw in that person's character or choices, which protects their own sense that the world is predictable and that they are safe.

On the MCAT: Passages describe observers who judge a victim of misfortune, such as a robbery or job loss, as more responsible or less likable, or who assume a wealthy person earned their success. Expect it as an example of attribution, where the outcome is explained by disposition instead of situation. It is also linked to victim blaming and to prejudice toward disadvantaged groups.

Common confusion: It is not the same as the fundamental attribution error, which is the general tendency to favor dispositional explanations for other people's behavior. The just world hypothesis is a specific belief about deserved outcomes, and it often produces that kind of attribution. It is also different from self-serving bias, which concerns how people explain their own successes and failures.