Belief in a just world and aspects of family functioning in emerging adulthood: Comparative analysis regressions vs QCA

The belief in a just world refers to individuals' belief that the world is a just place where everyone gets what they deserve Although it is created in childhood, it plays an adaptive role throughout the life cycle. This paper analyses the relationships between belief in a just world and variables of family functioning in the Spanish population during emerging adulthood, comparing multiple linear regression models and comparative qualitative analysis. 341 young people aged 19-25 ( M =21.77, SD =1.78), 82.2% of whom were women, participated in this study. The instruments used explore beliefs in a just world, and various aspects of family functioning. Regression models indicate that family variables are not related to belief in a just world. In comparative qualitative analysis, different combinations of family variables account 31% of strong beliefs in a just world. High levels of family resources, low levels of family communication and being a man are therefore related to the strong presence of beliefs in a just world. The results show that family functioning variables remain important for belief in a just world, even during emerging adulthood.