EXPLORING ONLINE SLACKTIVISM PARTICIPATION: THE EFFECTS OF OBSERVERS’ GROUP MEMBERSHIP ON PROSOCIAL STRIVINGS

Abstract

The emergence of digital technologies has vastly changed the way individuals display support for social causes. By drawing on group membership and impression management literature, the present research explores the common notion of slacktivism and investigates how participation in low-cost symbolic acts of support in online environments may affect subsequent meaningful actions. In study 1, participants were invited to sign an online petition that will be displayed to either in-group or out-group members or were not given the opportunity to sign petitions. Results revealed that individuals who provided symbolic support in the presence of in-group members indicated greater donation intentions than the other two groups (both of which do not differ from each other). This relationship was moderated by moral identity internalization, such that only those with low moral identity internalization were sensitive to group manipulations. Study 2 provided further evidence that engaging in symbolic support does not reduce meaningful actions. The findings contribute to our understanding of slacktivism and offer insights regarding the design and implementation of online symbolic support campaigns to promote deeper commitment.