Integrated Social Justice Values Test (SJV-BSJO)

The Social Justice Values (SJV) scale and the Basic Social Justice Orientations (BSJO) scale are two scientifically developed instruments widely used to measure different aspects of social justice in individuals. Although both scales target social justice, they approach it from distinct perspectives, complementing each other when combined for a more comprehensive assessment.

The SJV scale, introduced by Tudoran, Țîru, and Neagoe (2024), is grounded in value theory, specifically drawing on Rokeach’s distinction between instrumental and terminal values. This scale measures the values individuals hold regarding social justice, capturing both personal motivations and broader societal ideals. It consists of 17 items divided into three factors. The first, instrumental values, assesses behaviors and actions that reflect fairness, equity, and proactive engagement in social justice efforts. For example, items evaluate how often individuals help disadvantaged groups, speak out against injustice, or try to influence others to act fairly. The second factor, social terminal values, focuses on desired outcomes for society, including support for equality, access to resources, and structural fairness. The third, personal terminal values, captures individual moral goals, such as aspiring to live a fair life and maintaining integrity in personal relationships. Collectively, the SJV scale emphasizes why people care about social justice, connecting values, ethics, and personal behavior to social outcomes. Its multidimensional nature allows researchers to distinguish between motivational aspects (instrumental), societal goals, and personal aspirations, providing a nuanced understanding of social justice orientations.

In contrast, the BSJO scale, developed by Hülle, Liebig, and May (2018), focuses on normative attitudes toward distributive justice. Rather than assessing personal values or behaviors, it evaluates the principles that individuals believe should govern the distribution of societal benefits and burdens. The BSJO consists of items measuring support for four key distributive principles: Equality, Need, Equity, and Entitlement (or hierarchy/status-based allocation). Equality emphasizes uniform access to resources and opportunities; Need prioritizes support for those who are most disadvantaged; Equity rewards effort and contribution; and Entitlement justifies greater benefits for higher-status individuals or groups. The BSJO scale is concise, typically including 8 items (two per principle), and is designed for survey research, providing insight into how people conceptually approach fairness and justice in society. It has been validated in multiple studies and used in large-scale surveys, including cross-national contexts, making it a robust tool for examining normative justice attitudes.

The two scales complement each other in a merged instrument. While SJV captures value-driven motivations and personal ethical frameworks, BSJO assesses normative distributive principles, reflecting beliefs about what is fair at a societal level. Combining them allows researchers to examine not only what people value in terms of justice but also how these values translate into preferences for resource allocation and societal structures. Together, they provide a multidimensional, scientifically validated framework for studying social justice, useful in psychology, sociology, political science, and applied contexts such as education or organizational research.

In summary, the SJV scale and BSJO scale offer distinct yet complementary perspectives on social justice. The SJV emphasizes personal and societal values, while the BSJO measures principled orientations toward fairness and distribution. Their integration creates a comprehensive tool capable of capturing the full spectrum of individual orientations, from ethical motivations to normative beliefs, providing a rich, research-ready understanding of social justice attitudes.

References

• Tudoran, M. A., Țîru, L. G., & Neagoe, A. (2024). Can we measure social justice? Development and initial validation of a tool measuring social justice through values. Societies, 14(11), Article 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14110238
• Liebig, S., Hülle, S., & May, M. J. (2016). Principles of the just distribution of benefits and burdens: The “Basic Social Justice Orientations” scale for measuring orderrelated social justice attitudes (SOEPpapers 831). DIW Berlin.
• Hülle, S., Liebig, S., & May, M. J. (2018). Measuring attitudes toward distributive justice: The Basic Social Justice Orientations scale. Social Indicators Research, 136(2), 663–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1580-x
• Adriaans, J., & Fourré, M. (2022). Basic social justice orientations—Measuring orderrelated justice in the European Social Survey Round 9. Measurement Instruments for the Social Sciences, 4, Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42409-022-00040-3