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The Sense of Injustice pp 141–166Cite as

Relative Deprivation and Equity Theories

Felt Injustice and the Undeserved Benefits of Others

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Part of the book series: Critical Issues in Social Justice ((CISJ))

Abstract

Relative deprivation and equity theory are the two major social psychological approaches to the study of felt distributive injustice. Both theories postulate its antecedent conditions, emotional concomitants, and behavioral consequences. Both theories assert that not having and deserving something are preconditions of felt unjust deprivation; that resentment, anger, and dissatisfaction are among its emotional concomitants, and that the experience of unjust deprivation leads to behaviors aimed at eliminating it.1

Writing of this chapter was facilitated by grant ROI-MH31595 from the National Institute of Mental Health to the senior author.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA

    Faye Crosby & A. Miren Gonzalez-Intal

Authors
  1. Faye Crosby
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  2. A. Miren Gonzalez-Intal
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA

    Robert Folger

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© 1984 Plenum Press, New York

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Crosby, F., Gonzalez-Intal, A.M. (1984). Relative Deprivation and Equity Theories. In: Folger, R. (eds) The Sense of Injustice. Critical Issues in Social Justice. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2683-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2683-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9669-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2683-0

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