Variability and Belief in Karma: Perceived Life Variability Polarizes Perceptions of Behavior–Outcome Valence Consistency
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Perceived Life Variability and Belief in Karma
1.2. Current Research
2. Study 1a
2.1. Method
2.1.1. Participants
2.1.2. Materials and Procedure
2.2. Results and Discussion
2.2.1. Manipulation Checks
2.2.2. Subjective Probability Judgment for Good Luck Events
3. Study 1b
3.1. Method
3.1.1. Participants
3.1.2. Materials and Procedure
3.2. Results and Discussion
3.2.1. Manipulation Checks
3.2.2. Subjective Probability Judgment for Good Luck Events
4. Study 2
4.1. Method
4.1.1. Participants
4.1.2. Materials and Procedure
4.2. Results and Discussion
5. General Discussion
Limitations and Future Directions
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Events | Moral | Immoral | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | SD | M | SD | t | d | 95% CI | |
Get a better job | 5.79 | 1.44 | 2.77 | 1.49 | 11.76 ** | 2.06 | [2.51, 3.52] |
Have good luck | 5.80 | 1.40 | 3.48 | 1.52 | 9.03 ** | 1.59 | [1.81, 2.82] |
Receive CNY 1000 as a gift from a stranger | 5.73 | 2.01 | 3.21 | 1.54 | 7.96 ** | 1.39 | [1.89, 3.14] |
Accidentally find a CNY 100 bill on the sidewalk | 4.94 | 1.03 | 4.18 | 1.23 | 3.81 ** | 0.68 | [0.37, 1.16] |
Be very fortunate in life | 5.29 | 1.18 | 3.28 | 1.33 | 9.07 ** | 1.60 | [1.57, 2.45] |
Always “be in the right place at the right time” | 5.47 | 1.25 | 2.92 | 1.37 | 11.16 ** | 1.94 | [2.10, 3.01] |
Spend no night in a hospital for 10 years | 4.54 | 1.72 | 3.90 | 1.54 | 2.24 * | 0.39 | [0.08, 1.20] |
Win a lottery | 4.74 | 1.22 | 3.88 | 1.55 | 3.46 ** | 0.62 | [0.37, 1.35] |
Earn a lot of money | 4.86 | 1.40 | 3.33 | 1.41 | 6.22 ** | 1.09 | [1.04, 2.02] |
Average: positive events | 5.24 | 0.66 | 3.44 | 0.95 | 12.44 ** | 2.20 | [1.51, 2.09] |
Fall victim to a brutal assault | 3.57 | 1.54 | 6.57 | 1.77 | −10.41 ** | −1.82 | [−3.57, −2.43] |
Contract HIV through blood transfusion | 3.29 | 1.78 | 4.52 | 1.64 | −4.15 ** | −0.72 | [−1.83, −0.65] |
Be victim of a natural disaster | 4.54 | 1.64 | 4.92 | 1.44 | −1.37 | −0.24 | [−0.91, 0.17] |
Be bullied by colleagues | 3.40 | 1.77 | 6.03 | 1.96 | −8.05 ** | −1.42 | [−3.28, −1.99] |
Find wallet was stolen | 4.46 | 1.15 | 5.54 | 1.35 | −4.96 ** | −0.87 | [−1.52, −0.65] |
Die in a car accident | 3.56 | 1.69 | 4.74 | 1.40 | −4.37 ** | −0.76 | [−1.72, −0.65] |
Have bad luck | 4.39 | 1.28 | 5.70 | 1.42 | −5.60 ** | −0.98 | [−1.79, −0.85] |
Be cruelly murdered | 3.14 | 1.69 | 4.90 | 1.97 | −5.50 ** | −0.96 | [−2.39, −1.13] |
Lose a loved one in a car accident | 3.99 | 1.59 | 4.90 | 1.43 | −3.46 ** | −0.60 | [−1.22, −0.39] |
Average: negative events | 3.81 | 1.04 | 5.31 | 0.82 | −9.22 ** | −1.60 | [−1.82, −1.18] |
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Jiao, L.; Guo, Z.; Zhao, J.; Xu, Y. Variability and Belief in Karma: Perceived Life Variability Polarizes Perceptions of Behavior–Outcome Valence Consistency. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040400
Jiao L, Guo Z, Zhao J, Xu Y. Variability and Belief in Karma: Perceived Life Variability Polarizes Perceptions of Behavior–Outcome Valence Consistency. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(4):400. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040400
Chicago/Turabian StyleJiao, Liying, Zhen Guo, Jinzhe Zhao, and Yan Xu. 2025. "Variability and Belief in Karma: Perceived Life Variability Polarizes Perceptions of Behavior–Outcome Valence Consistency" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 4: 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040400
APA StyleJiao, L., Guo, Z., Zhao, J., & Xu, Y. (2025). Variability and Belief in Karma: Perceived Life Variability Polarizes Perceptions of Behavior–Outcome Valence Consistency. Behavioral Sciences, 15(4), 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040400