The Psych Files - Episode 139: Blaming the Victim in Reverse – the Justice Motive

Interesting topic . . . . from Michael at The Psyche Files.

Episode 139: Blaming the Victim in Reverse – the Justice Motive

by Michael on January 23, 2011

I’ll bet you’ve heard of the expression, “Whatever doesn’t kill you…”, or “Suffering is good for the soul”. Could these expression represent another way that we deal with our own anxiety after we hear about someone else’s tragedy? Could they be another way of blaming the victim? In this episode I explore the Justice Motive.

Justice Motive

• Seery, Mark, Holman, A. & Cohen Silver, R (2010). Whatever does not kill us: Cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience... Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
• Anderson, J.E., Kay, A.C., & Fitzsimons, G.M. (2010). In search of the silver lining: the justice motive fosters perceptions of benefits in the later lives of tragedy victims. Psychological Science, 21 (11), 1599-604

Tags: The Psych Files, Episode 139, Blaming the Victim in Reverse, The Justice Motive, Michael, anxiety, tragedy, suffering, Psychology