Postdoctral Fellow Lucas MATSUNAGA Publishes Article in Social Justice Research

Postdoctoral Fellow Lucas MATSUNAGA co-authored an article titled “The Self-Serving Veil of Justice: Egocentric Bias Fosters Zero-Sum Thinking Despite Fair Settings,” published in the journal Social Justice Research.

Abstract

This study examines the persistent impact of egocentric bias in negotiation settings, even under fair conditions. Using simulated scenarios like car trades and international environmental negotiations with 947 participants from Japan and the UK, it explores how egocentric bias interacts with justice mechanisms and zero-sum thinking. The results show that egocentric bias remains strong despite the presence of fairness structures. While procedural justice can reduce zero-sum thinking in simpler contexts, its effect weakens in complex negotiations. Retributive justice, aimed at discouraging non-cooperative behavior, may intensify punitive attitudes instead. These findings highlight the challenges of fostering cooperation and the need for better negotiation strategies.

Read the article here (open access)