Protesters as “Passionate Economists”

TLDR

The authors aim to explain why individuals join protests by proposing a dynamic dual‑pathway model of approach coping that integrates group identity, unfairness, anger, social support, and efficacy. The model posits that collective action arises from two distinct processes: an emotion‑focused pathway driven by group‑based anger over unfair disadvantage, and a problem‑focused pathway driven by beliefs in the group’s efficacy to effect social change. The model demonstrates that engaging in collective action triggers a reappraisal of disadvantage that fuels future protest, and the authors provide empirical support, discuss implications, and outline future research directions.

Abstract

To explain the psychology behind individuals' motivation to participate in collective action against collective disadvantage (e.g., protest marches), the authors introduce a dynamic dual pathway model of approach coping that integrates many common explanations of collective action (i.e., group identity, unfairness, anger, social support, and efficacy). It conceptualizes collective action as the outcome of two distinct processes: emotion-focused and problem-focused approach coping. The former revolves around the experience of group-based anger (based in appraised external blame for unfair collective disadvantage). The latter revolves around beliefs in the group's efficacy (based in appraised instrumental coping potential for social change). The model is the first to make explicit the dynamic nature of collective action by explaining how undertaking collective action leads to the reappraisal of collective disadvantage, thus inspiring future collective action. The authors review empirical support for the model, discuss its theoretical and practical implications, and identify directions for future research and application.