The Fair Process Effect: Overcoming Distrust, Polarization, and Conspiracy Thinking

The Fair Process Effect aims to shed light on why there are so many instances of distrust, polarization, and conspiracy thinking in our world and what we can do about this. The book focuses on the fair process effect as a mechanism that may help to start overcoming these important issues of societal discontent. This is a positive effect that people exhibit when they have been treated in genuinely fair and just ways by fellow human beings and societal authorities. Current insights presented in the book aid the understanding of why people may experience discontent, distrust, and disillusionment. Furthermore, these insights can be used to start countering exaggerated levels of distrust, heightened polarization, and unfounded conspiracy thinking. To this end, Van den Bos develops a coherent and modern account of the fair process effect, targeted at understanding and managing these pertinent issues.

Kees van den Bos is Professor of Social Psychology and Professor of Empirical Legal Science at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. His research answers basic questions as to why perceived fairness and justice matter so much to people. These insights are used by citizens, practitioners, and governments to understand and prevent conflicts and discontent in society.