A comparative study of equity judgements in Lithuania and Norway

Abstract

A questionnaire-type experiment was conducted in Lithuania and Norway in order to generate two samples suitable for a comparative examination of equity judgements.The results reveal large differences between the two countries. Norwegian probants had a much higher propensity to decide in accordance with Rawls' second principle than had Lithuanian probants. Equity judgements are also strongly dependent on the context of choice. The results are interpreted within a framework describing the formation of social preferences. More specifically, differences in observed equity judgements in the two countries are related to differences in history, past experience and future prospects.