A Replication of System‐Threat Paradigm in Japan: Preregistered Experiments Using Bayes Factor

Abstract This study conducted a replication of Kay et al. (2005; Experiment 1), which investigated the activation of stereotypical inferences through system‐threat manipulations, in Japan. According to system justification theory, individuals are motivated to justify the system when its legitimacy is threatened, leading to responses, such as activating stereotypical inferences. However, the effects of system‐threat manipulations have been primarily demonstrated in the United States, and no studies in Japan have successfully shown these effects. This raises questions about the generalizability of the effects of system‐threat manipulations. Two online experiments ( N = 554) investigated whether, under system threats, individuals rate the association between targets (e.g., obesity) and causally related traits (e.g., laziness) more highly, and whether they also rate causally unrelated traits (e.g., sociability) more highly as a form of compensation in Japan. The Bayesian analysis revealed that, contrary to Kay et al. (2005), the predicted effects were absent in both of the current experiments. The results indicate the challenges of applying system‐threat manipulations within the Japanese context.