Perceiving Justice Across Cultures: Equity vs. Equality in Colombia and in the United States

Abstract

This study reports the evaluation of an allocator by Colombian and United States subjects in terms of the allocation norm used by the allocator and the sex and nationality of the subjects. Subjects were presented with a description of a bogus experiment where the allocator distributed the group's rewards in terms of the equality or equity norms. Both Colombian and United States subjects preferred the equitable allocator over the egalitarian allocator, the difference being more marked among the Colombian subjects. An equitable allocation was perceived as fairer by both groups and was the preferred allocation mode when asked to state how they would have distributed the rewards. Contrary to what was expected from the literature, the importance assigned to various reasons varied not in terms of the sex of the subject but of the allocation norm. The equal allocation was perceived as promoting a friendly atmosphere while the equitable allocation was perceived as being produced by a concern over fairness.

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