Social axiom and group identity explain participation in a societal event in Hong Kong

Abstract

The present research aims to identify cognitive and affective factors that explain participation in societal events from a social psychological perspective. This study examined the role of generalized beliefs about the world in the prediction of collective action, and adopted a diary method by collecting daily measures for two consecutive weeks during the 2014 Hong Kong protests. Social identity was significantly associated with group-related emotions and social axiom was significantly associated with group efficacy, in turn affecting social movement participation. Multilevel analyses showed that group-related emotions and group efficacy explained the effect of time on participation in the movement. Students exhibited variability in the extent of their participation: protesters who “went out to the streets” were more driven by group-related emotions than were the non-protesters who “stayed in.” The findings attested to the added value of worldviews in explaining the psychological mechanisms of collective action.