System-justifying belief alleviates online privacy concerns: The mediating role of relatedness satisfaction and general trust

Online privacy concerns have attracted the attention of many scholars worldwide, and a considerable body of knowledge has accrued from research on the predictors of online privacy concerns. However, few studies have investigated whether system-justifying belief impacts online privacy concerns. Integrating system justification theory with self-determination theory, we investigate how system-justifying belief undermines online privacy concerns through relatedness satisfaction and general trust. In Study 1, using a large data set from the Chinese General Social Survey (N = 12,582), we found that system-justifying belief was negatively associated with online privacy concerns, and general trust mediated the relationship between system-justifying belief and online privacy concerns. In Study 2, using a Chinese sample (N = 273), we identified the chain-mediating roles of relatedness satisfaction and general trust in the relationship between system-justifying belief and online privacy concerns. In Study 3, using a new sample and priming system-justifying belief (N = 197), we replicated the results of Study 2 and further proved the chain mediation. These findings are of theoretical and practical significance for our understanding of the system-justifying belief and human online behaviors.