Factors Predicting Young Adults' Support of the Black Lives Matter Movement
Poster Number
089
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Faculty Mentor
Merry Sleigh, Ph.D.
Abstract
The communicative power of social media has led to an increase of young adults’ participation in social movements such as Black Lives Matter (BLM). We examined factors that predicted adults’ willingness to support BLM and other social movements. Participants were 82 young adults with a mean age of 20.5 (SD = 1.56). Fifty eight percent were Caucasian, 24% were African American, and the remainder reported other minority ethnicities. We assessed adherence to BLM ideology, along with active participation with and social media support for the BLM movement. Then, participants responded to items assessing tendencies for entitlement and impression management. Immediately afterward we provided the entitlement scale again but asked participants to answer as if they were a member of a “different race than their own.” We found that support of BLM was highest among those with liberal beliefs and African American people. Race and political beliefs emerged as more influential variables than gender and religious beliefs. Individuals who supported BLM did not show a high sense of entitlement; however, they perceived entitlement in racial groups other than their own. This result might indicate that support for minority movements is partially a belief in and resistance to entitled social groups. People did not seem to support BLM as an impression management strategy, but those who supported BLM also indicated that they are willing to support almost any social movement, suggesting a generalized dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Course Assignment
PSYC 302 – Sleigh
Recognized with an Award?
Winner, Psi Chi Regional Research Award, SEPA Annual Meeting, March 2018
Previously Presented/Performed?
Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) Annual Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 2018
Start Date
20-4-2018 2:15 PM
End Date
20-4-2018 4:15 PM
Factors Predicting Young Adults' Support of the Black Lives Matter Movement
Richardson Ballroom (DIGS)
The communicative power of social media has led to an increase of young adults’ participation in social movements such as Black Lives Matter (BLM). We examined factors that predicted adults’ willingness to support BLM and other social movements. Participants were 82 young adults with a mean age of 20.5 (SD = 1.56). Fifty eight percent were Caucasian, 24% were African American, and the remainder reported other minority ethnicities. We assessed adherence to BLM ideology, along with active participation with and social media support for the BLM movement. Then, participants responded to items assessing tendencies for entitlement and impression management. Immediately afterward we provided the entitlement scale again but asked participants to answer as if they were a member of a “different race than their own.” We found that support of BLM was highest among those with liberal beliefs and African American people. Race and political beliefs emerged as more influential variables than gender and religious beliefs. Individuals who supported BLM did not show a high sense of entitlement; however, they perceived entitlement in racial groups other than their own. This result might indicate that support for minority movements is partially a belief in and resistance to entitled social groups. People did not seem to support BLM as an impression management strategy, but those who supported BLM also indicated that they are willing to support almost any social movement, suggesting a generalized dissatisfaction with the status quo.
