Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: Participation in collective action relies upon the formation of identities which are compatible with that action. We argue that the formation of identities based around a shared opinion (i.e., opinion-based groups) provides a crucial link for understanding when individuals are likely to engage in collective action. Two studies explored the power of group-based interaction to strengthen people’s commitment to act in line with a pro-environmental opinion-based group. Both studies engaged participants in a group-based planning session where they were asked to develop strategies to reduce the impact of global warming. However, it was only when groups were provided with a clear achievable local goal, along with clear information concerning the causes and potential solutions to the problem of global warming, that the group-based interaction increased identification with the pro-environmental opinion-based group and subsequent commitment to engage in collective action. Together, these studies highlight some of the elements important for the formation of opinion-based groups oriented towards social change. The results are especially interesting for two reasons. First because they suggest that a straightforward social psychological intervention can produce large increases in commitment to mobilise to address the 21st Century’s most pressing social issue (including, as shown in our other research, boosting commitment for international development and anti-racism). Second, a renewed methodological focus on group processes in social psychology may allow a useful window for studying the fractious and complex processes of social conflict and consensus for social scientists in many disciplines.