Graduation Date

Spring 2021

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research

Committee Chair Name

Amber Gaffney

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Kauyumari Sanchez

Second Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Amanda Hahn

Third Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Identity, Group processes, Intergroup threat, Prototypicality, Prototypicality threat, Uncertainty, Social identity, Collective action

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

Collective action has a powerful role in shaping societies and is therefore important to examine and understand. This study examines the effects of peripheral group membership vs. prototypical group membership, uncertainty about one’s self concept, and perceived realistic threat from an outgroup on people’s willingness to engage in collective action. To assess these relationships, an online sample of Republicans and Democrats (N = 356) were recruited from Mturk. This work adapted methods from work on intergroup threat theory and uncertainty-identity theory to hypothesize that under low threat, peripheral group members would be more willing to engage in collective action under high uncertainty than low uncertainty, but prototypical group members will not differ based on uncertainty level. Additionally, it predicted that under high threat, prototypical participants would be more willing to engage in collective action under high uncertainty than low uncertainty, but that the opposite would be true for peripherals. Results were partially consistent with these hypotheses. Additionally, collective action tendencies were predicted to be generally higher when threat is higher. Results were mixed with respect to this hypothesis. This work has implications for current world events (e.g., BLM protests, capitol riots) and when and why people engage on behalf of the group.

Citation Style

APA

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