The SJT vs. SIMSA Debates

There have been two recent debates between the proponents of (a) system justification theory and (b) the social identity model of system attitudes. The first debate took place in the British Journal of Social Psychology (BJSP) in 2019, and the second debate took place in the European Review of Social Psychology (ERSP) in 2023. The associated articles are indicated below. 

The 2023 ERSP Debate

Rubin, M., Owuamalam, C. K., Spears, R., & Caricati, L. (2023). A social identity model of system attitudes (SIMSA): Multiple explanations of system justification by the disadvantaged that do not depend on a separate system justification motive. European Review of Social Psychology, 34(2), 203-243. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2022.2046422

Jost, J. T., Bertin, J. A., Javeed, A., Liaquat, U., & Rivera-Pichardo, E. J. (2023). Rejoinder to Rubin, Owuamalam, Spears, and Caricati (2023): Ideology is not accuracy; identity is not everything; and the social identity model of social attitudes does not explain system justification, it presupposes it. European Review of Social Psychology, 34(2), 268-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2022.2122319 

Rubin, M., Owuamalam, C. K., Spears, R., & Caricati, L. (2023). Social identity explanations of system justification: Misconceptions, criticisms, and clarifications. European Review of Social Psychology, 34(2), 268-297. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2023.2184578  

Rubin, M., Owuamalam, C. K., Spears, R., & Caricati, L. (2023). Social identity explanations of system justification: Misconceptions, criticisms, and clarifications - Supplementary document. European Review of Social Psychology. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.1080/10463283.2023.2184578/suppl_file/pers_a_2184578_sm7607.docx 

The 2019 BJSP Debate

SJT vs. SIMSA Articles

Jost, J. T. (2019). A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 263-314. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12297  Open access version here.

Owuamalam, C. K., Rubin, M., & Spears, R. (2019). Revisiting 25 years of system motivation explanation for system justification from the perceptive of social identity model of system attitudes. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 362-381. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12285 Open access here.

Jost, J. T., Badaan, V., Goudarzi, S., Hoffarth, M., & Mogami, M. (2019). The future of system justification theory. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 382-392. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12309 

Owuamalam, C. K., Rubin, M., & Spears, R. (2019). Is a system motive really necessary to explain the system justification effect? A response to Jost (2019) and Jost, Badaan, Goudarzi, Hoffarth, and Mogami (2019). British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 393-409.   https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12323  Open access here.

Owuamalam, C. K., Rubin, M., & Spears, R. (2019).  Table S1. Ancillary issues in the debate between SJT and SIMSA. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fbjso.12323&file=bjso12323-sup-0001-TableS1.docx 

Other Articles

The 2019 BJSP special issue also contained the following articles:

Friesen, J., Laurin, K., Shepard, S., Gaucher, D., & Kay, A. (2019). System justification: Experimental evidence, its contextual nature, and implications for social change. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 315-339. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12278 

Osborne, D., Sengupta, N., & Sibley, C. G. (2019). System justification theory at 25: Evaluating a paradigm shift in psychology and looking towards the future. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 340-361. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12302

The SIMSA Team

The following people have written the SIMSA debate articles...