Emma F. Thomas
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View article: I Get Knocked Down but I Get Up Again: Autonomous Motivation Sustains Identification and Collective Action After (Specific) Failure
I Get Knocked Down but I Get Up Again: Autonomous Motivation Sustains Identification and Collective Action After (Specific) Failure Open
Movements often experience setbacks while striving to achieve (or prevent) social change. We examined whether autonomous motivation—which captures supporters’ internalized commitment to a cause—would sustain identification with the movemen…
View article: When (and where) do pandemics foster anti-migrant actions? Individual-, contextual- and societal-level drivers affecting social cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic
When (and where) do pandemics foster anti-migrant actions? Individual-, contextual- and societal-level drivers affecting social cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic Open
International audience
View article: What Is, What Was and What Could Be: Simultaneously Comparing How Emotional Reactions to the Past, Present and Future Predict Collective Action
What Is, What Was and What Could Be: Simultaneously Comparing How Emotional Reactions to the Past, Present and Future Predict Collective Action Open
Although separate research programs examine how emotional reactions to the past, present and future predict collective action, research has yet to compare them simultaneously. Across three studies ( N = 2764) and two social issues (plastic…
View article: A primer on politicization, polarization, radicalization, and activation and their implications for democracy in times of rapid technological change
A primer on politicization, polarization, radicalization, and activation and their implications for democracy in times of rapid technological change Open
Governments around the world fear a loss of social cohesion and a risk of harm to individuals and democratic processes that stem from politicization , polarization and radicalization . We argue that these processes of social influence prov…
View article: A Comparative Study of Polysomnography‐Derived Sleep Disturbance in People Living With Multiple Sclerosis Compared to Matched Controls From the General Population
A Comparative Study of Polysomnography‐Derived Sleep Disturbance in People Living With Multiple Sclerosis Compared to Matched Controls From the General Population Open
Sleep structure and sleep disorders were compared between people with multiple sclerosis (MS; n = 39) and age, sex, and BMI‐matched members of the general population ( n = 39) using overnight polysomnography (PSG). Compared to population c…
View article: “No Matter What We Do, Nothing Is Enough”: A Qualitative Investigation of Political Despair
“No Matter What We Do, Nothing Is Enough”: A Qualitative Investigation of Political Despair Open
People often report experiencing despair about social issues like racial inequality and climate change. We conceptualise these feelings as political despair and consider: what causes political despair, that is, what are the antecedent appr…
View article: When the Smoke Will Not Clear: Examining the Longitudinal Effects of Political Despair on Well‐Being and Collective Climate Action
When the Smoke Will Not Clear: Examining the Longitudinal Effects of Political Despair on Well‐Being and Collective Climate Action Open
Averting the existential risks that climate change poses requires sustained collective action, yet little is known about the factors that maintain versus undermine such commitment over time. This study tests whether participants' ( N = 871…
View article: Does majority support for minority rights impact perceived norms and psychological well‐being? An application to the <scp>LGBTIQ</scp> + context
Does majority support for minority rights impact perceived norms and psychological well‐being? An application to the <span>LGBTIQ</span> + context Open
Several legislative changes following popular votes have transformed the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer (i.e., LGBTIQ+) people. We suggest these decisions to change laws serve as strong signals of public suppo…
View article: Beyond Boundaries: How Group Identification Influences Prosocial Behaviors Among Iranian Citizens and Afghan Immigrants via Aspirations
Beyond Boundaries: How Group Identification Influences Prosocial Behaviors Among Iranian Citizens and Afghan Immigrants via Aspirations Open
In this paper, we consider how aspirations for “who I can be” in the future could shape support for prosocial actions that benefit an ethnic out-group, relative to their own group. We suggest that aspirations are, in turn, influenced by in…
View article: Overcoming Climate Gridlock: Perspectives of Climate Leaders on How to Achieve Social Change During Persistent Failure in Australia
Overcoming Climate Gridlock: Perspectives of Climate Leaders on How to Achieve Social Change During Persistent Failure in Australia Open
Despite sustained efforts of social movements worldwide, there has been a lack of progress on mitigating climate change. Recent research examined the psychological consequences of one‐off collective action failures, but there has been litt…
View article: What could be? Depends on who you ask: Using latent profile analysis and natural language processing to identify the different types and content of utopian visions
What could be? Depends on who you ask: Using latent profile analysis and natural language processing to identify the different types and content of utopian visions Open
When people think of a utopian future, what do they imagine? We examined (a) whether people's self‐generated utopias differ by how much they criticize, seek to change or escape from an undesirable present; and (b) whether these distinct ty…
View article: Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests
Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests Open
There are widespread concerns that conspiracy theories undermine democracies. But do conspiracy beliefs increase criticism of democracy and/or support for authoritarianism? Or are antidemocratic people more likely to endorse conspiracy bel…
View article: Cultural logics of honor, face, and dignity as moderators of the relationship between group process and pro-migrant collective action intentions
Cultural logics of honor, face, and dignity as moderators of the relationship between group process and pro-migrant collective action intentions Open
International audience
View article: The Nature of Shared Traumatic Experiences: When, How, and How Often Do We Share Trauma With Others?
The Nature of Shared Traumatic Experiences: When, How, and How Often Do We Share Trauma With Others? Open
Across two studies, we investigated when, how, and how often people share traumatic events ( N = 1008). In Study 1, most participants (78.5%) perceived their most stressful/traumatic event as shared primarily due to knowing others were pre…
View article: My Body, My Choice? Examining the Distinct Profiles Underlying Attitudes Toward Abortion and COVID-19 Mandates
My Body, My Choice? Examining the Distinct Profiles Underlying Attitudes Toward Abortion and COVID-19 Mandates Open
Protestors recently repurposed the abortion rights’ mantra, “my body, my choice,” to oppose COVID-19 mandates. But do those who oppose public health mandates fully support the right to choose? We answer this question by using exploratory a…
View article: My Body, My Choice? Examining the Distinct Profiles Underlying Attitudes Toward Abortion and COVID-19 Mandates
My Body, My Choice? Examining the Distinct Profiles Underlying Attitudes Toward Abortion and COVID-19 Mandates Open
Protestors recently repurposed the abortion rights’ mantra, “my body, my choice,” to oppose COVID-19 mandates. But do those who oppose public health mandates fully support the right to choose? We answer this question by using exploratory a…
View article: Repeated and incontrovertible collective action failure leads to protester disengagement and radicalisation
Repeated and incontrovertible collective action failure leads to protester disengagement and radicalisation Open
Protest is ubiquitous in the 21st Century and the people who participate in such movements do so because they seek to bring about social change. However, social change takes time and involves repeated interactions between individual protes…
View article: Imagining a Positive Future: Desirability and Possibility as Possible Pathways to Hope and Commitment to Collective Action
Imagining a Positive Future: Desirability and Possibility as Possible Pathways to Hope and Commitment to Collective Action Open
We investigate if and how imagining a positive future where a societal issue has been rectified can promote hope and support for collective action. Participants imagined (vs. not) a positive future related to climate change (Study 1, N = 3…
View article: Thinking about the future: Examining the exacerbating and attenuating factors of despair-induced climate burnout
Thinking about the future: Examining the exacerbating and attenuating factors of despair-induced climate burnout Open
• Burnout about climate change consists of two facets, exhaustion, and disengagement. • Despair about climate change is related to the exhaustion facet of burnout but unexpectedly, not disengagement. • Engaging in pragmatic thinking reduce…
View article: Motivations to engage in collective action: A latent profile analysis of refugee supporters
Motivations to engage in collective action: A latent profile analysis of refugee supporters Open
What motivates people to participate in collective action? Some actions such as symbolic or online actions are often critiqued as performative allyship, motivated by personal gain rather than genuine concern for the cause. We aim to adjudi…
View article: Distinguishing sympathisers, philanthropists, rusted on activists and radicals: Using person‐centred analyses in collective action research
Distinguishing sympathisers, philanthropists, rusted on activists and radicals: Using person‐centred analyses in collective action research Open
Many of our theories and models within social psychology implicitly refer to ‘types’ or subgroups of people who engage in collective action (activists, protestors), or do not (sympathisers, bystanders). Other frameworks differentiate betwe…
View article: #MeToo, #MenToo: how men's progressive and reactionary actions are shaped by defensiveness
#MeToo, #MenToo: how men's progressive and reactionary actions are shaped by defensiveness Open
Movements for progressive social change (e.g., Black Lives Matter, #MeToo) are commonly met with reactionary counter-movements that seek to protect the rights and interests of structurally advantaged groups (e.g., All Lives Matter, #MenToo…
View article: Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States
Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States Open
The media's adherence to “if it bleeds, it leads” has resulted in global dominance of negative news (e.g., stories of corruption, fraud, shootings, terrorism, and war). The appetite for negative news is fueled by negativity bias, which com…
View article: “The future will be green, or not at all”: How positive (utopian) and negative (dystopian) thoughts about the future shape collective climate action
“The future will be green, or not at all”: How positive (utopian) and negative (dystopian) thoughts about the future shape collective climate action Open
The global movement to combat climate change is focused on pressuring governments, industry and other key decision-makers to take urgent action to mitigate the causes and impacts of climate change. The movement has played an important role…
View article: The impact of religious identification on national identification and engagement in collective action to support Rohingya refugees: A comparison between Australia and Malaysia
The impact of religious identification on national identification and engagement in collective action to support Rohingya refugees: A comparison between Australia and Malaysia Open
Research comparing how people engage in collective action in different nations to promote justice for disadvantaged groups is scarce. We investigated the effects of national identification (glorification/attachment) and religious identific…
View article: <i>“More support, less distress?</i> ”: Examining the role of social norms in alleviating practitioners’ psychological distress in the context of assisted dying services
<i>“More support, less distress?</i> ”: Examining the role of social norms in alleviating practitioners’ psychological distress in the context of assisted dying services Open
This study explores how providing assisted dying services affects the psychological distress of practitioners. It investigates the influence of professional norms that endorse such services within their field. Study 1 included veterinarian…
View article: Geographic and Demographic Differences in the Proportion of Individuals Living in Households With a Firearm, 1990-2018
Geographic and Demographic Differences in the Proportion of Individuals Living in Households With a Firearm, 1990-2018 Open
Importance Measures of the proportion of individuals living in households with a firearm (HFR), over time, across states, and by demographic groups are needed to evaluate disparities in firearm violence and the effects of firearm policies.…