Distributive Justice within and Outside the Family

Summary

A test was made of Lerner's hypothesis that the Marxian, or need-based, justice norm is seen as more applicable to resource distribution among family members than norms such as equity and equality which have been found to apply in other situations. A total of 96 male and female college students distributed hypothetical resources to pairs of story characters whose performances were unequal. Need and relationship of the characters were varied between subjects. A significant interaction between need and relationship lent support to Lerner's hypothesis.