The impact of repression threat on collective action tendencies -

Abstract

There is little social psychological research on the impact of repression threat on collective action, and existing research relies on retrospective data and shows inconsistent results. In this study, we experimentally examined the impact of repression threat on collective action tendencies and studied the psychological process underlying this relationship. We led female students at the American University of Beirut to believe that the university’s administration will raise the standards of accepting female students, and that they will repress (or not) any forms of protest against this decision. We found that repression threat had a deterring effect on collective action tendencies, and fear of punishment mediated this effect. Anger and efficacy acted as suppressors of this effect rather than mediators. Contrary to our hypotheses, identification as a supporter of women’s rights did not moderate the relationship between repression threat and collective action. Future research is needed to further explore the role of identification and other variables in moderating the effect of repression threat on collective action.