Powerful people are quick to notice injustice when they are victimized, research finds

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/sfpa-ppa060315.php

Public Release: 5-Jun-2015
Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Powerful people respond quickly to unfair treatment when they are the victims, but they are less likely to notice injustice when they benefit or when others are victimized, according to new research published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

In four experiments, participants who were primed to think of powerful situations perceived unfair treatment more quickly when it affected them and were more likely to take action to avoid disadvantageous situations than powerless people. The study findings didn't differ for men or women. Most of the participants were white so the results weren't analyzed based on race. [In my experience, the results would have been the same for other races.]

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Since the writing exercise designed to make participants feel powerful or powerless only had temporary effects, the differences between powerful and powerless people are probably greater in the real world, where powerless people often are overwhelmed by injustices on a daily basis, Sawaoka said.

The study findings help explain the persistence of income inequality and "white privilege" in American society, said lead researcher Takuya Sawaoka, a doctoral student in psychology at Stanford University.

"Since whites tend to occupy powerful or advantaged positions in society, this fosters a sense of entitlement, and powerful people come to believe that they deserve better outcomes than others," he said. "Thus, whites may be very quick to notice and respond to perceived injustices, but this entitlement also could make them less likely to notice injustices that victimize minorities."

"People who are repeatedly victimized by unfairness are going to end up with fewer resources and opportunities," he said. "Effectively responding to unfair situations (e.g., by seeking out more equitable outcomes) could enable the powerful to maintain their higher social standing. In contrast, because powerless people are slower to perceive and respond to unfairness, they may become more vulnerable to exploitation. These processes could end up perpetuating gaps between the powerful and powerless."