ABSTRACT
Social psychologists attempt to explain when, why and how individuals make justice judgments. There are two general types of justice judgments distributive, and procedural. This chapter concerned with distributive justice, of which the most researched principles are equality, equity, and need. However, a number of additional principles have been distinguished by various theorists. Social psychologists have primarily analyzed the impact of resources on perceived justice in terms of their: nature, quantity, and valence. Scholars from various disciplines have discussed additional aspects as well, on the basis of which social resources may be described and distinguished. The process by which resources are allocated seems perhaps even more likely than the outcome distribution to be affected by several of the factors that are associated with resource production. There is a growing literature wrestling with the question whether or not the allocation of positive and negative resources follow the same distributive justice principles.
