On the social-communicative function of justice: the influence of communication goals and personal involvement on the use of justice assertions

Abstract

This article reveals how people strategically use justice assertions when attempting to persuade others. In three studies participants communicated about a negative situation they or someone else had experienced and did so in a persuasive manner (Studies 1-3), an accurate manner (Study 1), by asking for an opinion (Study 2), or without a communication goal (Studies 1 and 3). Communicators who had a persuasion goal used more justice-related words than communicators who had a goal to be accurate, asked for an opinion, or had no goal. This was particularly the case when communications were about someone else rather than the participants themselves and for those high in self-monitoring whose identities were known (vs. anonymous). The article concludes that people use justice-related words in attempts to persuade others, but only when they know there is no doubt about their personal involvement. Implications are discussed.