Article Version of Record

One world in diversity – A social-psychological intervention to foster international collective action intention

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Knab, Nadine
Steffens, Melanie C.

Abstract / Description

Although effective interventions to increase international collective action for human rights are highly desirable, the validation of theory-based interventions and their transfer to this practical field is still scarce. We investigated whether collective action intention can be improved by using a diversity intervention technique rooted in social psychology. The intervention builds on the ingroup projection model, postulating that negative intergroup relations are based on the perception of ingroups as more typical of a common superordinate group than outgroups (i.e., relative prototypicality). Thereby, the (quasi-)experimental study tested the ingroup projection model’s theoretical assumptions in the context of Model United Nations (MUN) conferences. We hypothesized that the diversity intervention leads to a higher perceived diversity within the superordinate group (the United Nations, UN) as well as identification with the superordinate group (UN). Furthermore, we hypothesized an indirect effect of the intervention on collective action intention mediated by perception of diversity of, and identification with, the superordinate group. In comparison to the control group (n = 45), those participants who received the diversity workshop intervention (n = 55) perceived less relative prototypicality and more diversity of the UN. In addition, we provide evidence of a serial mediation: Compared to the control group, the diversity workshop group perceived the UN as relatively more diverse, facilitating identification with the UN. In turn, this was associated with a stronger intention to act collectively. This study shows the importance of including psychological theories in the field of international relations.

Keyword(s)

prototypicality collective action Model United Nations diversity training psychological intervention ingroup projection global issues international relations human rights Prototypikalität kollektives Handeln Model United Nations Diversity Training psychologische Intervention Eigengruppenprojektion globale Herausforderungen internationale Beziehungen Menschenrechte

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-03-13

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

6

Issue

1

Page numbers

8–26

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Knab, N., & Steffens, M. C. (2018). One world in diversity – A social-psychological intervention to foster international collective action intention. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(1), 8–26. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.601
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Knab, Nadine
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Steffens, Melanie C.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:45:27Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:45:27Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-03-13
  • Abstract / Description
    Although effective interventions to increase international collective action for human rights are highly desirable, the validation of theory-based interventions and their transfer to this practical field is still scarce. We investigated whether collective action intention can be improved by using a diversity intervention technique rooted in social psychology. The intervention builds on the ingroup projection model, postulating that negative intergroup relations are based on the perception of ingroups as more typical of a common superordinate group than outgroups (i.e., relative prototypicality). Thereby, the (quasi-)experimental study tested the ingroup projection model’s theoretical assumptions in the context of Model United Nations (MUN) conferences. We hypothesized that the diversity intervention leads to a higher perceived diversity within the superordinate group (the United Nations, UN) as well as identification with the superordinate group (UN). Furthermore, we hypothesized an indirect effect of the intervention on collective action intention mediated by perception of diversity of, and identification with, the superordinate group. In comparison to the control group (n = 45), those participants who received the diversity workshop intervention (n = 55) perceived less relative prototypicality and more diversity of the UN. In addition, we provide evidence of a serial mediation: Compared to the control group, the diversity workshop group perceived the UN as relatively more diverse, facilitating identification with the UN. In turn, this was associated with a stronger intention to act collectively. This study shows the importance of including psychological theories in the field of international relations.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Knab, N., & Steffens, M. C. (2018). One world in diversity – A social-psychological intervention to foster international collective action intention. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(1), 8–26. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.601
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1459
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1793
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i1.601
  • Keyword(s)
    prototypicality
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    collective action
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Model United Nations
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    diversity training
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    psychological intervention
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    ingroup projection
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    global issues
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    international relations
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    human rights
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Prototypikalität
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    kollektives Handeln
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    Model United Nations
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    Diversity Training
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    psychologische Intervention
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    Eigengruppenprojektion
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    globale Herausforderungen
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    internationale Beziehungen
    de_DE
  • Keyword(s)
    Menschenrechte
    de_DE
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    One world in diversity – A social-psychological intervention to foster international collective action intention
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    8–26
  • Volume
    6
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record