Belief in a Just, Unjust, and Random World: Three Different Beliefs

The Belief in a Just World (BJW) reflects assumptions about the predictability and congruence of events. Although extensively studied, little is known about its opposite: whether it is the Belief in an Unjust World (BUW), the Belief in a Random World (BRW), or whether these are independent constructs. This study adapted BJW scales to assess BUW and BRW in a Spanish sample (N = 283). Exploratory graph analysis showed that BJW, BUW, and BRW form three distinct unipolar dimensions, rather than opposite poles of a single continuum. While all correlated with mental health variables, partial correlations revealed unique patterns: BJW related to well-being, BUW negatively to optimism, and BRW showed negligible associations. These findings highlight the conceptual independence of the three beliefs, while offering plausible different roles that they could take within clinical practice. Furthermore, we also provide measuring tools for BUW and BRW.