The Dynamics of Emotions in Protests

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of emotions during protest participation. While multidisciplinary research considers negative triggers a crucial factor for protesting, few studies causally test whether negative emotions initiate protesting and motivate continued protest behavior. Addressing these gaps, we present a model that explains when and why emotions matter throughout protest participation. Online experiments in the US (total N = 1,603) show that, surprisingly, neither negative nor positive emotions motivate individuals to start protesting (vs. issue salience). However, protesting decreases negative and increases positive emotions. The latter motivates protesters to continue protesting. Results hold among political and demographic predispositions as well as across several negative and positive emotions (e.g., anger). The finding that positive emotions motivate protesters to continue protesting helps explain why movements decline or endure. Ultimately, as sustained mobilization facilitates protest success, emotions are central in protesting, even if they do not cause initial protest participation.