Abstract
150 subjects were given information about the aptitude and home environment of four hypothetical students they were going to grade. Aptitude was described as being either low or high; home environment was described as being either detrimental or conducive to academic performance. Subjects' beliefs in a just world were also measured on Rubin and Peplau's Just World Scale (1973). With examination performance held constant, low ability and detrimental home environment were related to higher grades. Further, the association between high grades and detrimental home environment was stronger among subjects with high level of belief in a just world than among subjects with low level of belief in a just world. The association between high grades and low ability was not affected, however, by level of belief in a just world. It was suggested that subjects who strongly believed in a just world considered students from “detrimental” home environment, but not students with low ability, as deserving high grades.
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