What is justice sensitivity?

One of the more wild reasons allistic researchers have used to pathologise autistic people is research showing that autistics are more likely to stick to their views even when there is no one around to see them doing so.

This Neuroclastic article outlines a study where people could choose whether or not to support a bad cause. If they supported it, they would financially benefit themselves. Autistics were much more likely than allistics (non-autistics) to refuse to do this. Allistics often supported the bad cause in private when no one else would know they were making the choice to benefit themselves, while opposing it in public where others could see and judge them.

The researchers decided this was because the autistic participants “over-evaluate the negative consequences of their actions.” The autistic author of the Neuroclastic article argues that allistics underestimated the negative consequences, and chose personal gain over principles.

This is an example of the double empathy problem whereby autistics and allistics struggle to understand each other’s ways of thinking.

Autistic people are more likely to display consistency in their views, which is categorised in diagnostic manuals as black and white or rigid thinking. With less inclination to flexibility around things including morals, it makes sense that autistic people would be more likely to be sensitive to perceptions of unfairness, injustice, and those who aren’t playing by the rules.

There’s a reason why @mightbeautistic created a meme which states: “It socks are a bit of a complicated subject for you, but morality feels pretty straightforward, then you might be autistic.”

Autistics (and ADHDers according to research) are more likely to consider a given situation to be justice-related, and to behave in a way and feel strong emotions that are consistent with this perception. This is known as being high in justice sensitivity. Someone with high justice sensitivity is more likely to want to fight for a cause, and not let things go when they perceive unfairness.

Someone low in justice sensitivity is more likely to let it slide, or not consider it to be a justice issue in the first place.

This is sometimes wrongly used to imply that autistics, or neurodivergent people as a whole, are morally superior or better people. Being sensitive to perceived injustice doesn’t mean the morals they’re judging this against are necessarily ‘correct’.

Neurodivergent people are all individuals and have views on all points of the political spectrum. Each person perceives injustice and unfairness in different ways, some of which can wholly contradict someone else’s.

One person may support a particular moral cause, while another opposes it. Both believe they are fighting for honesty and justice and may be sensitive to any attack on their view. Someone with high justice sensitivity could therefore advocate strongly for what others consider to be abhorrent views, while that individual passionately believes they’re doing what is right.

It’s accurate to say that many neurodivergent people place a high value on integrity, honesty, ethics, fairness and justice, and are consistent in their views. But being neurodivergent doesn’t automatically make someone a ‘good person’ or mean that their views are morally superior.

Research is limited as to why neurodivergent people tend to experience higher justice sensitivity. As well as the factors already discussed, it seems likely that persistently being the subject of injustices will make people more attuned to noticing their existence.

Neurodivergent people are subjected to neuronormative and ableist attitudes on a daily basis, which mean they are more likely to be unemployed, homeless, or institutionalised. Neurodivergent children can struggle in school or be forced to leave altogether because their needs are not met. There are a lot of injustices for neurodivergent people to be sensitive about, and many try to make the world a better place by sticking up for underdogs, victims of bullying, and others who are suffering.

Read more:

What does neuronormative mean?

The Autistic Teacher on having a strong sense of justice.

Literally Autistic on having a strong sense of justice doesn’t make someone morally superior.

Emergent Divergence on being autistic doesn’t automatically make you a good person.

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