Being moved by protest: Collective efficacy beliefs and injustice appraisals enhance collective action intentions for forest protection via positive and negative emotions

Abstract

Based on collective action theories and appraisal theories of emotion, we propose that people are moved and positively overwhelmed by the idea that together they can make a difference for a more sustainable future and that these feelings motivate them to participate in pro-environmental collective action. We surveyed activists and sympathizers of a forest protection campaign (Study 1, N = 210) and conducted an experiment (Study 2, N = 221) to test this claim. As expected, feelings of being moved mediated the effect of collective efficacy beliefs on collective action intentions in both studies. Hence, being moved constitutes a second emotional path to collective action alongside group-based anger. These two emotional paths differently elicited the goal to punish authorities (intergroup goal), to be part of the movement (intragroup goal), and to reduce climate change (ideological goal). The findings suggest that negative and positive emotions (anger and being moved) amplify already existing motivations.