Norms Concerning Distributive Justice: Are Needs Taken Into Consideration in Allocation Decisions?

The assumption is examined that, in addition to the contribution and equality principles, a further principle of distributive justice exists: consideration. In a questionnaire experiment subjects were asked how they would allocate money between two hypothetical teammates (of the same sex as subjects) who had contributed equally to attain this money but needed different sums. Experimental variations involved the causal locus of the need and the social relationship among recipients. A sizable portion of the subjects allocated unequally, in favor of the needier person. Need Consideration was greater if the two teammates were close friends than if they were not; it was scarcely influenced by whether the needier person was personally responsible for his or her distress. Indications of sex differences were found in one experimental condition.