#11462. Legitimacy of Authority and Protest Actions in Response to Collective Disadvantages

August 2026publication date
Proposal available till 22-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

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Journal’s subject area:
Anthropology;
Law;
Sociology and Political Science;
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Abstract:
A wealth of evidence has demonstrated that individuals’ participation in collective actions largely derives from perceived group disadvantages. Across three experiments based on vignettes describing a hypothetical work setting (total N = 670), we found consistent support for this prediction. In Study 1, we showed that intention to participate in a protest movement in reaction to an unfavourable distribution of outcomes was lower when legitimacy of the group’s authority was high (vs. low). In addition, a reduction in anger was found to play a mediating role. Studies 2 and 3 further demonstrated that these effects only occurred when participants were confronted with a relatively low disadvantage (as opposed to a high disadvantage). In an attempt to identify underlying mechanisms, Study 3 emphasized the moral implications that lie behind responses to high (vs. low) disadvantageous decisions and that shape resistance processes. Taken together, these findings call for more consideration for the role of group authorities in the comprehension of collective action tendencies and give insights to better understand how and when authority legitimacy can serve to perpetuate social disparities and hinders the fight against injustices.
Keywords:
Anger; Authority legitimacy; Collective actions; Disadvantage; Violation of moral values

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