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Protest activity, social incentives, and rejection sensitivity: Results from a survey experiment about tuition fees

Bäck, Emma LU ; Bäck, Hanna LU orcid and Garcia-Albacete, Gema (2013) In Contention: The multidisciplinary journal of social protest 1(1). p.1-15
Abstract
People may engage in protest activity either because of collective incentives or selective

incentives, or a combination of them. In this study we focus on the selective incentives part

of the calculus of political participation, particularly the impact of the social dimension.

We hypothesize that people will participate in demonstrations or other forms of protest,

to a higher extent if they are afraid of rejection, but only if they feel that they have high

social support for their own position. This hypothesis was supported in an online survey

experiment where social support was manipulated. Results also revealed that individuals

who were highly rejection sensitive were... (More)
People may engage in protest activity either because of collective incentives or selective

incentives, or a combination of them. In this study we focus on the selective incentives part

of the calculus of political participation, particularly the impact of the social dimension.

We hypothesize that people will participate in demonstrations or other forms of protest,

to a higher extent if they are afraid of rejection, but only if they feel that they have high

social support for their own position. This hypothesis was supported in an online survey

experiment where social support was manipulated. Results also revealed that individuals

who were highly rejection sensitive were among the most likely to participate even though

they did not believe protest activity to be an efficient way to bring about social change.

This supports the notion that some individuals tend to engage in protest activity for

purely social reasons. However it is still unclear whether these individuals are driven

by an approach motivation to establish new social bonds or an avoidance motivation to

escape possible social rejection. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Political participation, protest activity, social Incentives, rejection sensitivity
in
Contention: The multidisciplinary journal of social protest
volume
1
issue
1
pages
1 - 15
publisher
Punctum Books
ISSN
2330-1392
project
Extreme Activism? Psychological Determinants of Protest Behavior
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1fde0363-2b3c-4af0-bdd5-91ccf25ac797 (old id 4113821)
alternative location
http://contentionjournal.org/vol1iss1/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:54:50
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:31:24
@article{1fde0363-2b3c-4af0-bdd5-91ccf25ac797,
  abstract     = {{People may engage in protest activity either because of collective incentives or selective <br/><br>
incentives, or a combination of them. In this study we focus on the selective incentives part <br/><br>
of the calculus of political participation, particularly the impact of the social dimension. <br/><br>
We hypothesize that people will participate in demonstrations or other forms of protest, <br/><br>
to a higher extent if they are afraid of rejection, but only if they feel that they have high <br/><br>
social support for their own position. This hypothesis was supported in an online survey <br/><br>
experiment where social support was manipulated. Results also revealed that individuals <br/><br>
who were highly rejection sensitive were among the most likely to participate even though <br/><br>
they did not believe protest activity to be an efficient way to bring about social change. <br/><br>
This supports the notion that some individuals tend to engage in protest activity for <br/><br>
purely social reasons. However it is still unclear whether these individuals are driven <br/><br>
by an approach motivation to establish new social bonds or an avoidance motivation to <br/><br>
escape possible social rejection.}},
  author       = {{Bäck, Emma and Bäck, Hanna and Garcia-Albacete, Gema}},
  issn         = {{2330-1392}},
  keywords     = {{Political participation; protest activity; social Incentives; rejection sensitivity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--15}},
  publisher    = {{Punctum Books}},
  series       = {{Contention: The multidisciplinary journal of social protest}},
  title        = {{Protest activity, social incentives, and rejection sensitivity: Results from a survey experiment about tuition fees}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4238342/4124247.pdf}},
  volume       = {{1}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}