Award Date

5-1-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Jennifer Rennels

Second Committee Member

Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Third Committee Member

Rachael Robnett

Fourth Committee Member

Chad Cross

Number of Pages

106

Abstract

Young adults are increasingly engaging in collective action for social change, yet we lack a clear understanding of the factors driving their participation in social movements. This mixed-methods study uses a social psychological framework to examine key quantitative factors related to young adults’ intentions to engage in collective action for racial justice, as well as their reasoning around their involvement. A survey of 373 racially and ethnically diverse young adults (18-35 years old) assessed the impact of racial justice ally identity, emotions (anger and contempt), and dimensions of efficacy on action intentions. Path analysis revealed that young adults’ identification as allies or supporters for racial justice and anger significantly contributed to greater normative action intentions (e.g., donating, signing petitions), while stronger ally identity and lower political efficacy was significantly associated with greater willingness to engage in non-normative actions (e.g., disruptive protest). Participants also described their prior experiences with collective action and responded to open-ended questions about their motivations or barriers to participation. Thematic analysis identified five core themes: action motivated by a belief in the effectiveness of collective action and expressing solidarity and shared values and inaction themes focused on participation barriers, ambivalence, or low perceived efficacy and a psychological distancing from social movements (i.e., disidentification). Multinomial logistic regression showed that prior experience significantly predicted action-oriented themes, while stronger nonnormative intentions decreased the likelihood of the disidentification theme. These findings shed light on diverse pathways through which young adults engage in various social change actions and underscore the importance of building efficacy among young aspiring allies without prior collective action experience.

Keywords

Collective action; Efficacy; Emotions; Mixed methods; Social identity; Social psychology

Disciplines

Cognitive Psychology | Psychology | Social Psychology

File Format

pdf

File Size

981 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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