Summary

The belief in immanent justice was described by Piaget as existing only among children, although some studies describe its presence in adults. Social psychologists have identified the ideological belief in a just world, which is similar to immanent justice. Moreover, this belief coexists with others forms of explaining social injustice in a polyphase cognitive process, even in adults. A study was conducted to analyze the development of immanent justice in students between 6 and 17 years old. The conclusion is that the belief in immanent justice can be seen as a justification of the belief in a just world, framed in animistic thought, and transformed during the process of development into two other forms of justification: social reciprocity and individual merit.