Situational appraisal and emotional responses of the public in the social movement

On the basis of conceptualizing militant action as non-normative political participation, the group-based model of appraisal and emotions (GAE) depicts a pathway that explains public support for militant protest as the outcome of group-based subjective situational assessment and consequent emotional feelings. With data from two samples (one identified with militant protesters and the other with moderate protesters) in the anti-ELAB movement, we validated two classical pathways in the GAE among Hong Kong residents. Among people identifying with militant protesters, perceiving excessive police action and collective efficacy with militant protesters were significantly associated with support for militant protest via contempt rather than anger. Among people identifying with moderate protesters, perceiving excessive police action and collective efficacy with moderate protesters were significantly associated with support for moderate protest via anger rather than contempt. In addition, we extended the GAE by validating a new pathway that those identifying with moderate protesters would also support militant protest when they felt contempt. The findings indicate that the association between emotion and attitude toward collective action is not fully based on group identification. Our findings unpacked public support for militant protest into support from people identifying with militant protesters and support from those identifying with moderate protesters. The results of this research indicate that the solidarity between militant and moderate protesters in the anti-ELAB movement was not only a tactical cooperation but also a common emotional response (contempt). Our findings propose political communication as a potentially effective manner to deradicalize public attitudes, the core of which should be to mitigate people’s contempt.