ReviewEvolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior
Speculations on the Evolutionary Origins of System Justification.
Review in Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Maintenance and Collapse of Sense of Order: A Longitudinal Study of System Justification Mechanisms Among Chinese Youth.Brain and behavior · 2026Article
- Neuroanatomical correlates of system-justifying ideologies: a pre-registered voxel-based morphometry study on right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation.Royal Society open science · 2023Article
- Bullying in Primary School Children: The Relationship between Victimization and Perception of Being a Victim.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Thalamocortical Circuit Motifs: A General Framework.Neuron · 2019Review
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3 authors.
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Abstract
For centuries, philosophers and social theorists have wondered why people submit voluntarily to tyrannical leaders and oppressive regimes. In this article, we speculate on the evolutionary origins of system justification, that is, the ways in which people are motivated (often nonconsciously) to defend and justify existing social, economic, and political systems. After briefly recounting the logic of system justification theory and some of the most pertinent empirical evidence, we consider parallels between the social behaviors of humans and other animals concerning the acceptance versus rejection of hierarchy and dominance. Next, we summarize research in human neuroscience suggesting that specific brain regions, such as the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, may be linked to individual differences in ideological preferences concerning (in)equality and social stability as well as the successful navigation of complex, hierarchical social systems. Finally, we consider some of the implications of a system justification perspective for the study of evolutionary psychology, political behavior, and social change.
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