Abstract

Multiple Motive Model of Procedural Fairness

Larry B. Heuer
Columbia University
Department of Psychology

The group value theory of procedural justice (Lind & Tyler, 1988) asserts that respectful treatment is fair because it communicates positive information about one's intragroup standing. Therefore, respectful treatment should be more important for fairness in encounters with ingroup members than with outgroup encounters, and the effect of respectful treatment on procedural fairness should be mediated by perceived intragroup standing. A meta-analysis of four pilot studies (three field surveys and one laboratory experiment) provides no support for the moderation hypothesis. We propose that this can be explained by positing multiple motives (intragroup standing, intergroup standing, and self-interest) as responsible for the relationship between respect and procedural fairness. Three experiments support this multiple motive model by showing that: (1) Each of the value judgments of intragroup standing, intergroup standing, and self-interest have positive direct effects on procedural fairness; (2) The effect of respect on procedural fairness is mediated by each of these three value judgments; and (3) The meaning of respect (whether it communicates information about values concerning intragroup standing, intergroup standing, or self-interest) is moderated by the context in which social encounters take place. These findings suggest that theorizing about procedural fairness will benefit from including values (such as intergroup standing and self-interest) in addition to the intragroup standing value suggested by the group value model.