Age and Gender Differences in Beliefs about Personal Power and Injustice

Abstract

College students and community-dwelling older adults were compared on Injustice and Personal Power scales and measures of religiosity. “Personal Power” scores varied significantly as a function of age and gender. These differences were attributable to a significantly lower belief in “Personal Power” for the group of older women. As predicted, “Injustice” scores were significantly higher for women than for men, reflecting a greater belief that conditions can be unjust. No significant difference between older and younger adults on “Injustice” scores was obtained. Significant positive correlations between measures of religiosity and “Injustice” scores were obtained, while religiosity was not significantly correlated with “Personal Power.” This pattern of results suggests that there is value in utilizing separate measures of “Injustice” and “Personal Power” scores. Suggestions are made for examining further the complex relationship among demographic variables, belief in a just world, and measures of religiosity.

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