Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Framing of Collective Action in Groups

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Jeffrey LucasMarek Nathan PosardUniversity of MarylandA key assumption for theories of social exchange is that actors prefer to maximize their own valued rewards in exchange relationships. One common definition of value is the accumulation of some material reward (e.g. profit chips or money). The affect theory of social exchange broadens this definition to include emotional benefits. In other words, individuals also prefer to maximize their level of positive feelings during exchange relationships. These feelings can generate trust and cohesion between exchange partners. The research studies whether framing group contributions as a decision about others, rather than about one's self-interest, can generate certain pro-social outcomes. Social theorists have proposed that both monetary and emotional rewards can motivate individuals to engage in collective action. The result of this generosity is trust, affective commitment, and cohesion between individual group members. This research investigates if framing collective action in different ways can also affect these pro-social outcomes within competitive and cooperative group contexts. The central hypothesis of this project is that presenting group tasks as a decision about others can promote collective action irrespective of whether group members perceive each other as collaborators or competitors. Broader Impact This research could help us better understand how framing collective actions with reference to the group produces social outcomes within competitive and cooperative group contexts. Findings have implications for a variety of social organizations that function by promoting collective behavior in groups. Corporate work teams, for example, that function within a competitive economic context may benefit by framing collective action of their employees from the perspective of groups rather than as an individual contribution from each employee. Cohesion within a social support group may increase by framing member contributions as starting from the collective instead of individuals. This research also has a training component with at least five to seven undergraduate students participating in data collection to learn the practice of social and behavioral science research.