Double standards in judging collective action

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/28fyt_v2
• Publication Date: 2025-02-19T21:12:33Z
• Authors: Nils Karl Reimer; Marija Branković; Iniobong Essien; Jin X. Goh; Sébastien Goudeau; Nóra Anna Lantos; Jenny Veldman
• Keywords: Collective Action

Collective action is a powerful force driving social change but often sparks contention about what actions are acceptable means to effect change. We investigated double standards in judging collective action—that is, whether observers judge the same protest be more depending on who protesters and they protesting. In two studies, we used item response theory develop an instrument of 25 controversial measure where people draw line between unacceptable forms action. three preregistered experiments (N = 2776), found no consistent evidence for ingroup bias terms class when protests workers’ rights (Experiment 1), race against defunding police 2), gender restricting abortion 3). Instead, that progressive participants (Experiments 1–3) rejected system-justifying beliefs 1–2) considered cause aligned with their ideological orientation (for rights, police, abortion) than it did not (against abortion). Conservative somewhat supported, rather opposed, 3) all actions, equally 2). Our findings have theoretical practical implications understanding often-divided movements.