It's not fair if I don᾿t gain from it: Engaging self-interest distorts the assessment of distributive justice.

Are people able to objectively evaluate fairness of the principles ruling the distribution of goods? Such principles often encourage or threaten their own interests and as such people may lose objectivity. But maybe howling injustice is evaluated positively if it is in favour of one᾿s interest? We present three experiments, that aim to verify the hypothesis that engagement of one᾿s interest distorts the evaluation of the principles of fairness of distribution of goods. Consequently, principles serving one᾿s interest are regarded as more just. In Pilot Study (N = 34) doctoral students considered controversial scholarship regulations to be more just when it was in favour of their own interest. In Experiment 1 (N = 97) men evaluated unequal treatment of women in job environment as just when it favoured their own sex. In Experiment 2 (N = 80) go-cart racetrack users evaluated racing rules as more just when they benefited from them, but not when they were beneficial to others. We discuss the observed effects in reference to automatic egocentrism conception (Epley & Caruso, 2004). peerReviewed publishedVersion