Understanding Retribution: Majority of Karma Believers Endorse Consequential Justice

Understanding Retribution: Majority of Karma Believers Endorse Consequential Justice

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The universe may serve as your own personal cheerleader, doling out rewards for good deeds and doling out punishments for bad ones - at least according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

Researchers questioned over 2,000 participants across various religious beliefs and spiritual backgrounds about their belief in karma, the concept that good deeds lead to rewards and bad actions to consequences.

Interestingly, when participants discussed their own good deeds, around 59% admitted to reaping the rewards. In contrast, when focusing on others, 92% claimed to witness the karma of cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies, and less-than-stellar coworkers.

"Good karma allows people to take personal credit and feel pride in good things that happen to them, even without a clear cause," explained Cindel White, the study's senior author and an assistant professor at York University in Toronto. "But it also justifies other people's suffering."

This insight reveals our decision-making process in regard to others and ourselves. But it doesn't stop there.

"I regularly donate to people in need, no matter how small of a contribution," one participant from the study admitted. "This has helped me greatly and has even lead to others helping me with no strings attached."

Another participant shared their belief that a particular individual's cancer diagnosis was the result of their bad actions throughout their life.

According to Patrick Heck, a research psychologist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, this mindset is an example of "attribution bias."

"Attribution bias is simply the idea that people attribute things that happen to them, or to others, in a way that makes them feel good or alleviate their self-perceived inadequacies," Heck explained.

Although attribution bias can boost self-esteem, helping people overcome life's challenges, it can also obscure the contributions of others and external factors in success.

Meanwhile, viewing others' suffering as a form of punishment stems from a human need to believe that the world is fair. This belief can help individuals reconcile the challenges of life.

"Life is full of random, statistical noise," Heck continued. "People need stories and explanations for why bad things happen to some people and why good things happen to others. Karma is a compelling way to package that idea in a religious or spiritual context."

Researchers found similar patterns across numerous cultural contexts, from Western countries like the U.S., where people often view themselves positively, to Asian countries where people tend to be more self-critical. The common thread between cultures was that participants were more likely to believe they receive karmic rewards, while other people experience karmic punishment.

White plans to explore the influence of these beliefs on decision-making in her future research.

"There are situations where beliefs can have real-world consequences, especially in policymaking and our justice system," Heck cautioned.

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Social prejudices, such as racism and classism, often operate on the assumption that an "inferior" group deserves their lower status due to unacceptable behavior, which may impact help-giving behaviors.

Ultimately, Heck and Yudit Jung, an adjunct associate professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, agree that these biases are common among humans, reflecting a need for security and a sense of shared humanity.

"[Our research] is not about influencing religion. It's about helping people recognize that we all contain elements of good and bad," Jung said. [...] "Compassion and a sense of shared humanity are crucial."""

📚Enrichment Data:

Key Insights:

• The belief in karma significantly impacts self-perception and decision-making, with individuals attributing their successes to karmic rewards even in the absence of a clear cause.
• Such biases naturalize the suffering of others as deserved punishment, providing a rationalization for moral judgments.
• Cross-cultural studies reveal broad similarities between Western and Asian countries in self-serving patterns, despite differences in self-criticism levels.
• Belief in karma can inspire ethical behavior, but may also foster fatalism or moral loopholes.
• Human biases in moral judgment and decision-making are universal and extend beyond religious or spiritual contexts, ultimately stemming from a need for security and a sense of shared humanity.

1. The belief in karma, as shown by a study from the American Psychological Association, can lead individuals to take personal credit for their successes and feel pride, but it may also justify other people's suffering.
2. Good deeds, according to research, can lead to personal benefits, but the same study suggests that people are more likely to observe karmic consequences in the lives of others, such as cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies, and lesser coworkers.
3. The concept of karma can be a way to explain events in life, particularly when it comes to success and hardships, according to a research psychologist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
4. Beliefs in karma can have real-world consequences, particularly in areas such as policy-making and the justice system, as pointed out by the same research psychologist.
5. Social prejudices, such as racism and classism, often operate on the assumption that an "inferior" group deserves their lower status due to unacceptable behavior, which may impact help-giving behaviors.
6. Understanding the impact of beliefs like karma on decision-making and moral judgments can help people recognize that we all contain elements of good and bad, as suggested by an adjunct associate professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta.

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