Does Collective Action Feel Meaningful? An Experience Sampling Investigation of Naturally Occurring and Sustained Collective Action

Collective actions play a critical role in resisting social injustice and creating social change. Collective actions may also promote feelings of momentary meaning in life by virtue of being goal-driven, self-transcendent pursuits that reflect one’s values. We test this central idea combining experience sampling surveys recording real-time collective actions and momentary feelings of meaning ( N = 135; 3122 episodes), and follow-up surveys to test predictors of sustained collective action. Collective action engagement was positively related to feelings of momentary meaning in life within-person. In addition, participants’ feelings of meaning in the experience sampling surveys predicted collective action engagement 1 and 2 months later. This study provides initial evidence that engaging in collective action may promote feelings of momentary meaning in life, which in turn may sustain future engagement in collective action.