Fairness and preference

The difference between seven-hour and 10-hour subjects resulted from the higher fraction of 10-hour subjects who believed that an equal hourly wage was fair.

“The difference between the seven-hour and 10-hour subjects resulted from the higher fraction of 10-hour subjects who believed that an equal hourly wage was fair.”

In Messick and Sentis (1979), seven-hour subjects thought the 10-hour subject should be paid $30.29 on average, while 10-hour subjects thought they should be paid $35.24; the $4.95 difference was cited as evidence of a self-serving bias in perceptions of fairness.

“Seven-hour subjects, on average, thought the 10-hour subject should be paid $30.29.However, the 10-hour subjects thought they should be paid $35.24.The difference between $30.29 and $35.24-$4.95-wascited as evidence of a selfserving bias in perceptions of fairness.”

People tend to arrive at judgments of what is fair or right that are biased in the direction of their own self-interests.

“A subset of research on the self-serving bias has shown that people tend to arrive at judgments of what is fair or right that are biased in the direction of their own self-interests.”

In Messick and Sentis (1979), the perceived fair wage for the 10-hour workers was bimodal: some thought equal pay regardless of hours was fair, others thought equal hourly wage was fair.

“The perceived fair wage for the 10-hour workers was bimodal: some people thought it was fair to pay both parties equally, regardless of hours worked; others thought it was fair to pay both an equal hourly wage (which would mean paying the 10-hour workers approximately $ 35.70).”