Willingness to Engage in Collective Action After the Police Killing of an Unarmed Black Man

Differential Pathways for Black and White Individuals

Bibliographic Data

ID11054141
AuthorsBrynn E Sheehan (0000-0002-5328-8947, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School, Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute Norfolk Virginia USA), Stephen Brent Hinton (corresponding author), Valerian J Derlega (Psychology Department Old Dominion University Norfolk Virginia USA), Ralitsa S Maduro (0000-0002-8544-3315, Sentara Healthcare, Quality Research Institute Virginia Beach Virginia USA), Delaram A Totonchi (0000-0003-3807-4913, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning University of Virginia Charlottesville Virginia USA)
Year2022
Volume70
Issue1-2
Pages153-165
Publication date2022-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0091-0562 • E-ISSN: 1573-2770
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajcp.12587
OpenAlexW35166387
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited28

This cross‐sectional survey study examined the underlying psychosocial constructs of Black ( n = 163) and White ( n = 246) university students' willingness to endorse racially motivated collective action. Consistent with the defensive motivation system model, we expected the police shooting of an unarmed Black American to activate concerns about personal safety, thereby eliciting negative affect, lack of forgiveness of the perpetrator, and motivation to engage in collective action. This path model was expected for both Black and White participants, with stronger associations among Black participants. In the full model, Black participants identified more with the victim and indicated greater personal threat, which led to (1) more negative affect and greater endorsement of collective action and (2) greater avoidance of the shooter and greater endorsement of collective action. In the Black participants model, collective action was explained by identifying with the victim and feeling personally threatened. In the White participants model, collective action was explained by three pathways stemming from identifying with the victim and personal threat, including negative affect, seeking avoidance, and seeking revenge. The results indicate different mechanisms to explain Black and White individuals' motivation to endorse collective action to prevent police‐involved shootings of unarmed Black Americans

Acetic acid · Overtone · Physics · Spectral line · Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols · Atmospheric Ozone and Climate · Chemistry · Organic Chemistry · Spectroscopy and Laser Applications

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access