系統合理化

系統合理化是指一種心理傾向，即個體傾向於捍衛、支持和合理化現狀的社會系統、經濟結構和政治體制。這種傾向有助於增加個體對現狀的滿意度，並滿足潛在的認知性、存在性和關係性需要，以減少不確定性、威脅和社會關係不和諧等感覺。比如有些女性認為她們應當比男性獲得更低的工資；即使是窮人也可能會反對再分配，諸如此類問題都可以用系統合理化來解釋。^[1]

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系統合理化理論（system justification theory, 縮寫：SJT）由心理學家約翰·約斯特（英語：John Jost）和馬哈扎林·巴納吉（英語：Mahzarin Banaji）於1994年提出，旨在理解個體如何以及為什麼會支持和合理化現有的社會系統^[2]。該理論認為，個體會進行系統合理化是為了維護或提高自尊和群體地位，儘管這種支持有時會與其他動機相衝突。系統合理化理論借鑑了馬克思主義、女權主義和社會學的合法化理論，並結合了認知失調理論和公正世界理論的觀點^[1]。

研究發現，系統合理化程度高的個體往往具有較低的消極情緒和較高的現狀滿意度，表明這種心理過程能夠給個體帶來心理上的好處^[3]^[4]。

儘管系統合理化理論受到廣泛關注，但也面臨一些問題和批評^[1]。例如一些研究者認為，系統合理化動機缺乏特異性，可以用社會認同動機等來解釋^[5]。

動機

系統合理化理論認為，人們並非總是會為所在系統進行辯護，即認為現狀是公正、合理的^[6]^[7]。被激活認識性需要、存在性需要和關係性需要的個體更傾向於進行系統合理化^[1]。對具有認識性需要的個體而言，他們需要減少不確定性和模糊性^[1]，認知負荷較高的個體更傾向於支持權威/等級價值觀，而政治保守主義被認為是維護系統的表現^[8]。對具有存在性需要的個體而言，他們需要減輕威脅和不安全感，遭遇存在威脅的個體更傾向於持保守的態度，這被視為是系統合理化的表現^[9]^[10]。對具有關係性需要的個體而言，他們需要使社會關係協調，減少排斥感，實現共享現實感，被啟動社會排斥感的個體更傾向於表達更強烈維護精英主義意識形態的傾向^[11]。

批評與困境

有研究指出，系統合理化並非僅在外顯層面上發生，而是在內隱層面上運作，表現為對外群體的偏愛^[1]。例如，一些實驗表明，在內隱聯想測驗中，弱勢群體表現出對外群體的偏愛，而在外顯測量中可能表現出對內群體的偏愛或沒有群體偏向^[12]。

雖然系統合理化理論認為人們被激發去捍衛、證明和支持社會現狀^[13]，但研究顯示，人們對系統的支持往往與自我欺騙和動機性社會認知的個體差異有關^[14]。

研究者提出了一些影響系統合理化傾向的個體和情境的調節變量，但對於系統合理化在何時、何地、對誰起作用的解釋仍然不完善。這包括系統威脅、系統依賴和系統不可脫離性與穩定性等因素。^[1]

一些研究質疑人們是否具有自主、獨立的系統合理化動機。有研究發現，在一些情況下，外群體偏愛可能反映了一種類似於錯誤信念和內化自卑的意識形態過程，而不是真正的系統合理化動機。^[13]

為了突破這些困境，一些研究者轉向神經科學方法來研究系統合理化。神經科學方法在技術的複雜性和客觀性方面具有優勢，能夠更好地理解系統合理化的內在機制^[1]。例如，通過神經影像學研究，發現背外側前額葉皮質（英語：Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex）和杏仁核與系統合理化之間存在潛在聯繫。dlPFC與經驗開放性和政治保守主義有關^[15]^[16]，而杏仁核與處理社會關係信息和政治意識形態傾向有關^[16]^[17]。

參考文獻

[1]
Zeng, Zhaoxie; Zhang, Yue; Yang, Shenlong; Guo, Yongyu. The motivational nature of system justification: Dilemma and coping. Chinese Science Bulletin. 2023-08-01, 68 (24): 3185–3195. doi:10.1360/TB-2022-1306.
[2]
Jost, John T.; Banaji, Mahzarin R. The role of stereotyping in system‐justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology. 1994-03, 33 (1): 1–27. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x.
[3]
Li, Wenqi; Wu, Junhui; Kou, Yu. System Justification Enhances Life Satisfaction of High- and Low-Status People in China. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2020-07, 11 (5): 588–596. doi:10.1177/1948550619866182.
[4]
Goudarzi, Shahrzad; Pliskin, Ruthie; Jost, John T.; Knowles, Eric D. Economic system justification predicts muted emotional responses to inequality. Nature Communications. 2020-01-20, 11 (1). doi:10.1038/s41467-019-14193-z.
[5]
Owuamalam, CK; Rubin, M; Spears, R. Is a system motive really necessary to explain the system justification effect? A response to Jost (2019) and Jost, Badaan, Goudarzi, Hoffarth, and Mogami (2019).. The British journal of social psychology. 2019-03-28. PMID 30919987. doi:10.1111/bjso.12323.
[6]
Friesen, JP; Laurin, K; Shepherd, S; Gaucher, D; Kay, AC. System justification: Experimental evidence, its contextual nature, and implications for social change.. The British journal of social psychology. 2018-09-19. PMID 30229936. doi:10.1111/bjso.12278.
[7]
Jost, John T. A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology. 2019-04, 58 (2): 263–314. doi:10.1111/bjso.12297.
[8]
Van Berkel, L; Crandall, CS; Eidelman, S; Blanchar, JC. Hierarchy, Dominance, and Deliberation: Egalitarian Values Require Mental Effort.. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2015-09, 41 (9): 1207–22. PMID 26133375. doi:10.1177/0146167215591961.
[9]
Van de Vyver, Julie; Houston, Diane M.; Abrams, Dominic; Vasiljevic, Milica. Boosting Belligerence: How the July 7, 2005, London Bombings Affected Liberals’ Moral Foundations and Prejudice. Psychological Science. 2016-02, 27 (2): 169–177. doi:10.1177/0956797615615584.
[10]
Jost, John T.; Hunyady, Orsolya. Antecedents and Consequences of System-Justifying Ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2005-10, 14 (5): 260–265. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00377.x.
[11]
Cheung, Rick M.; Noel, Steven; Hardin, Curtis D. Adopting the System-Justifying Attitudes of Others: Effects of Trivial Interpersonal Connections in the Context of Social Inclusion and Exclusion. Social Cognition. 2011-06, 29 (3): 255–269. doi:10.1521/soco.2011.29.3.255.
[12]
Essien, I; Calanchini, J; Degner, J. Moderators of intergroup evaluation in disadvantaged groups: A comprehensive test of predictions from system justification theory.. Journal of personality and social psychology. 2021-05, 120 (5): 1204–1230. PMID 32700959. doi:10.1037/pspi0000302.
[13]
Jost, John T.; Banaji, Mahzarin R.; Nosek, Brian A. A Decade of System Justification Theory: Accumulated Evidence of Conscious and Unconscious Bolstering of the Status Quo. Political Psychology. 2004-12, 25 (6): 881–919. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2004.00402.x.
[14]
Wojcik, SP; Hovasapian, A; Graham, J; Motyl, M; Ditto, PH. Conservatives report, but liberals display, greater happiness.. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2015-03-13, 347 (6227): 1243–6. PMID 25766233. doi:10.1126/science.1260817.
[15]
DeYoung, CG; Peterson, JB; Higgins, DM. Sources of openness/intellect: cognitive and neuropsychological correlates of the fifth factor of personality.. Journal of personality. 2005-08, 73 (4): 825–58. PMID 15958136. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00330.x.
[16]
Nam, HH; Jost, JT; Meager, MR; Van Bavel, JJ. Toward a neuropsychology of political orientation: exploring ideology in patients with frontal and midbrain lesions.. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences. 2021-04-12, 376 (1822): 20200137. PMID 33611994. doi:10.1098/rstb.2020.0137.
[17]
Nam, H. Hannah; Jost, John T.; Kaggen, Lisa; Campbell-Meiklejohn, Daniel; Van Bavel, Jay J. Amygdala structure and the tendency to regard the social system as legitimate and desirable. Nature Human Behaviour. 2017-12-04, 2 (2): 133–138. doi:10.1038/s41562-017-0248-5.

[TB-2022-1306-1] [1]
Zeng, Zhaoxie; Zhang, Yue; Yang, Shenlong; Guo, Yongyu. The motivational nature of system justification: Dilemma and coping. Chinese Science Bulletin. 2023-08-01, 68 (24): 3185–3195. doi:10.1360/TB-2022-1306.

[2] [2]
Jost, John T.; Banaji, Mahzarin R. The role of stereotyping in system‐justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology. 1994-03, 33 (1): 1–27. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x.

[3] [3]
Li, Wenqi; Wu, Junhui; Kou, Yu. System Justification Enhances Life Satisfaction of High- and Low-Status People in China. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2020-07, 11 (5): 588–596. doi:10.1177/1948550619866182.

[4] [4]
Goudarzi, Shahrzad; Pliskin, Ruthie; Jost, John T.; Knowles, Eric D. Economic system justification predicts muted emotional responses to inequality. Nature Communications. 2020-01-20, 11 (1). doi:10.1038/s41467-019-14193-z.

[5] [5]
Owuamalam, CK; Rubin, M; Spears, R. Is a system motive really necessary to explain the system justification effect? A response to Jost (2019) and Jost, Badaan, Goudarzi, Hoffarth, and Mogami (2019).. The British journal of social psychology. 2019-03-28. PMID 30919987. doi:10.1111/bjso.12323.

[6] [6]
Friesen, JP; Laurin, K; Shepherd, S; Gaucher, D; Kay, AC. System justification: Experimental evidence, its contextual nature, and implications for social change.. The British journal of social psychology. 2018-09-19. PMID 30229936. doi:10.1111/bjso.12278.

[7] [7]
Jost, John T. A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology. 2019-04, 58 (2): 263–314. doi:10.1111/bjso.12297.

[8] [8]
Van Berkel, L; Crandall, CS; Eidelman, S; Blanchar, JC. Hierarchy, Dominance, and Deliberation: Egalitarian Values Require Mental Effort.. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2015-09, 41 (9): 1207–22. PMID 26133375. doi:10.1177/0146167215591961.

[9] [9]
Van de Vyver, Julie; Houston, Diane M.; Abrams, Dominic; Vasiljevic, Milica. Boosting Belligerence: How the July 7, 2005, London Bombings Affected Liberals’ Moral Foundations and Prejudice. Psychological Science. 2016-02, 27 (2): 169–177. doi:10.1177/0956797615615584.

[10] [10]
Jost, John T.; Hunyady, Orsolya. Antecedents and Consequences of System-Justifying Ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2005-10, 14 (5): 260–265. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00377.x.

[11] [11]
Cheung, Rick M.; Noel, Steven; Hardin, Curtis D. Adopting the System-Justifying Attitudes of Others: Effects of Trivial Interpersonal Connections in the Context of Social Inclusion and Exclusion. Social Cognition. 2011-06, 29 (3): 255–269. doi:10.1521/soco.2011.29.3.255.

[12] [12]
Essien, I; Calanchini, J; Degner, J. Moderators of intergroup evaluation in disadvantaged groups: A comprehensive test of predictions from system justification theory.. Journal of personality and social psychology. 2021-05, 120 (5): 1204–1230. PMID 32700959. doi:10.1037/pspi0000302.

[Jost2004-13] [13]
Jost, John T.; Banaji, Mahzarin R.; Nosek, Brian A. A Decade of System Justification Theory: Accumulated Evidence of Conscious and Unconscious Bolstering of the Status Quo. Political Psychology. 2004-12, 25 (6): 881–919. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9221.2004.00402.x.

[14] [14]
Wojcik, SP; Hovasapian, A; Graham, J; Motyl, M; Ditto, PH. Conservatives report, but liberals display, greater happiness.. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2015-03-13, 347 (6227): 1243–6. PMID 25766233. doi:10.1126/science.1260817.

[15] [15]
DeYoung, CG; Peterson, JB; Higgins, DM. Sources of openness/intellect: cognitive and neuropsychological correlates of the fifth factor of personality.. Journal of personality. 2005-08, 73 (4): 825–58. PMID 15958136. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00330.x.

[rstb.2020.0137-16] [16]
Nam, HH; Jost, JT; Meager, MR; Van Bavel, JJ. Toward a neuropsychology of political orientation: exploring ideology in patients with frontal and midbrain lesions.. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences. 2021-04-12, 376 (1822): 20200137. PMID 33611994. doi:10.1098/rstb.2020.0137.

[17] [17]
Nam, H. Hannah; Jost, John T.; Kaggen, Lisa; Campbell-Meiklejohn, Daniel; Van Bavel, Jay J. Amygdala structure and the tendency to regard the social system as legitimate and desirable. Nature Human Behaviour. 2017-12-04, 2 (2): 133–138. doi:10.1038/s41562-017-0248-5.

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