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Pity for economically disadvantaged groups motivates donation and ally collective action intentions
Author(s) -
Lantos Nóra Anna,
Kende Anna,
Becker Julia C.,
McGarty Craig
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2705
Subject(s) - pity , outrage , disadvantaged , collective action , social psychology , outgroup , psychology , action (physics) , political science , law , politics , physics , quantum mechanics
We argue that pity can motivate collective action intentions toward groups that are both politically and economically deprived. We tested this connection in four online surveys and an experiment. In Study 1 ( N = 1,007), pity for the Roma in Hungary predicted collective action intentions, which was replicated in Study 2 in connection with refugees in Germany ( N = 191) and in Hungary ( N = 563). Study 3 ( N = 475) demonstrated that for not economically but politically disadvantaged groups (e.g., sexual minorities), pity was not a predictor of ally action. In an experiment (Study 4, N = 447), pity was just as strong a predictor of collective action intentions as outrage on behalf of an economically and politically disadvantaged outgroup. Pity can be a mobilizing emotion when it comes to groups that are both economically and politically disadvantaged; however, outrage remains more important in the absence of economic hardship.