The Influence of Just World Beliefs on Internet Altruistic Behavior among College Students: the Roles of Gratitude and Online Social Support

Just world beliefs may influence college students' Internet altruistic behaviors directly or indirectly through a mediating effect. This study investigated the relationships between belief in a just world (BJW), gratitude, online social support, and Internet altruistic behavior (IAB) in order to enhance our comprehension of the impact of BJW on IAB. Methods: We conducted a survey using questionnaires to investigate the relationship and underlying mechanisms between BJW, gratitude, online social support, and IAB among 802 college students. Results: (a) BJW could significantly predict IAB; (b) The relationship between BJW and IAB is partially mediated by gratitude; (c) Online social support plays a moderating role in the relationship between BJW and IAB. Specifically, for individuals with high online social support, BJW directly predicts IAB. However, for individuals with low online social support, the predictive effect of BJW on IAB is not significant. Conclusions: These findings indicate that gratitude and online social support play different roles in the relationships between BJW and IAB, and suggest these relationships have unique mechanisms. These results also highlight the importance of gratitude and online social support in comprehending IAB.