abstract:The just-world hypothesis or just-world fallacy is the cognitive bias (or assumption) that a person's actions always bring morally fair and fitting consequences to that person, so that all noble actions are eventually rewarded and all evil actions are eventually punished. In other words, the just-world hypothesis is the tendency to attribute consequences to—or expect consequences as the result of—a universal force that restores moral balance.
She said this could be explained through the "just-world hypothesis, " the belief that people think the world should be good -- and when it is not, especially when a blameless and vulnerable person suffers as a result, someone needs to be punished.