| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the effects of bogus busyness (i.e., pretending to be busy) and free-riding (i.e., deliberately withholding contribution in group assignments) on perceived distributive fairness. We assigned participants (N = 280) to either factually or bogus busyness conditions. We employed a vignette experiment in which we asked participants to evaluate a target person. Participants recalled a co-worker they believed to be factually busy (factual-busyness condition) or pretending to be busy (bogus busyness condition) who did not contribute to a group assignment. Mediation analysis showed that participants in the bogus busyness condition evaluated the target person as a more acute free-rider than participants in the factual-busyness condition. Consequently, in terms of distributive justice, participants in the bogus busyness condition evaluated the target as less deserving of the group's outcomes (e.g., scores assigned to group assignments) than participants in the factual-busyness condition. This research suggests that people could pretend to be busy to get away with free-riding, as long as they do not get caught in the act. | en_US |
