What I Believe, I Can Achieve: Personal Belief in a Just World as a Mediating Factor Between Gender Discrimination and Future Expectations Among Adolescents

Abstract

Experiencing gender discrimination during adolescence can profoundly affect individuals' lives. Because of the limited longitudinal studies on the impact of gender discrimination, this research sought to explore its effects on future expectations among vocational students in the Netherlands. Notably, it introduced adolescents' personal belief in a just world (PBJW) as a mediating factor. Data from the initial two waves of the YOUth Got Talent project were analyzed. This sample included 568 students from various MBO schools in Utrecht, 57% females and 43% males. The linear regression analysis results showed no significant relation between gender discrimination wave 1 and future expectations wave 2 when controlled for by future expectations wave 1. Given the absence of a direct effect, there was no evidence for partial mediation by PBJW. However, a significant relation was found between gender discrimination and PBJW, and a significant relation was found between PBJW and future expectations. This suggests that while gender discrimination may not directly influence future expectations, adolescents' perception of a just world is related to their future expectations. These results underscore the connection between gender discrimination and PBJW, and PBJW and future expectations, thus contributing to our knowledge of the consequences of gender discrimination, PBJW, and future expectations among adolescents.