Axiological-Identitary Collective Action Model (AICAM): A new integrative perspective in the analysis of protest

PLoS One. 2019 Jun 12;14(6):e0218350. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218350. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Current predictive models of collective action have devoted little attention to personal values, such as morals or ideology. The present research addresses this issue by incorporating a new axiological path in a novel predictive model of collective action, named AICAM. The axiological path is formed by two constructs: ideology and moral obligation. The model has been tested for real normative participation (Study 1) and intentional non-normative participation (Study 2). The sample for Study 1 included 531 randomly selected demonstrators and non-demonstrators at the time of a protest that took place in Madrid, May 2017. Study 2 comprised 607 randomly selected participants who filled out an online questionnaire. Structural equation modelling analysis was performed in order to examine the fit and predictive power of the model. Results show that the model is a good fit in both studies. It has also been observed that the new model entails a significant addition of overall effect size when compared with alternative models, including SIMCA. The present research contributes to the literature of collective action by unearthing a new, independent path towards collective action that is nonetheless compatible with previous motives. Implications for future research are discussed, mainly stressing the need to include moral and ideological motives in the study of collective action engagement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Civil Disorders / psychology*
  • Civil Disorders / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Behavior*
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Morals*
  • Motivation*
  • Social Identification
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

The authors disclose the receipt of financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was jointly funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (grants for excellence projects 2015: PSI2015-66608-P) and by the Board of Culture, Education and University Regulation of the Galician Government (grant no. ED431B 2016/017). The research was also funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Social Fund through grants in 2016 for predoctoral contracts (BDNS: 316231) awarded to MD. The article was also co-authored within the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) and supported within the framework of a subsidy by the Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100 awarded to DG. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.