Many people are prone to believing in the just-world fallacy—the notion that our victories and failures are just and the appropriate reward or punishment to our actions. People like to continue believing the world is fair even when they intellectually know that it is not.

Researchers tested people's predispositions to the just-world fallacy by having them engage in a rigged card game. The game was designed so that one player would have a clear advantage throughout the game that would essentially guarantee their victory. They found that although both players could recognize the game was imbalanced, the winner was consistently more likely to still believe the game was "fair" and that their victory was the result of their skill and merit.

They suggest this can help understand how people react to inequalities in life. Generally, in a rigged game, their findings show that those who "win" will have a greater tendency to ignore the legitimate complaints of those who lose.