Can emotional acceptance promote political action? Leveraging contemplative science to promote positive social action

In today’s contentious political climate, we must identify pathways that promote positive social action. Collective political action (e.g., voting, volunteering), in particular, can powerfully shape society for the better – but what can individuals do to promote collective action? We propose that the contemplative strategy of emotional acceptance should allow individuals to harness the power of their emotional responses to political events and engage in productive forms of action. Three studies will test our hypotheses: Study 1 examines whether emotional acceptance predicts greater day-to-day motivation to engage in collective action in geographically, demographically, and politically-diverse U.S. adults. Study 2 examines whether emotional acceptance predicts greater collective action within liberal grassroots organizers. Study 3 examines whether a laboratory intervention can increase acceptance and, in turn, engagement in collective action. Together, these studies will significantly expand our scientific and practical understanding of how contemplative strategies can promote positive social change.