Social (Dis) Approval and Collective Action Participation: Reevaluating the Linearity Thesis

• In Event: 263 - Section on Social Psychology Paper Session. Social Psychological Approaches to Collective Action and Social Movements

Abstract

Survey-based studies on collective action have generally assumed that social (dis)approval has a positive and linear effect on participation, by which alter’s approval of ego’s participation increases the likelihood of ego’s participation, while alter’s disapproval decreases the likelihood of ego’s participation. But that assumption has not yet been subjected to genuine evaluation. This paper presents a test of the linearity thesis, using survey data on participation and non-participation of military personnel in a street demonstration against budget cuts in The Hague in 2011. Statistical analyses generate two important findings: (1) social disapproval can indeed correlate with a higher rate of participation; and, (2) the existence of a positive relation between participation and social disapproval appears to be contingent on the status of peers (equal-status versus higher-status), and the extent to which individuals care about the issue at stake. We discuss implications of our findings and consider avenues for future research on participation in collective action.

Authors

• Daniel Blocq, UW-Madison

• Marie-Louise Damen, VU University Amsterdam