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National identity, willingness to fight, and collective action

Author

Listed:
  • Austin Horng-En Wang

    (Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

  • Nadia Eldemerdash

    (Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Abstract

Why do people risk their lives fighting in wars? This article looks beyond group grievance and material benefits to add another psychological mechanism explaining why people choose to fight or not to fight – perceived collective action. An individual is much more likely to fight when they perceive that others will also fight. Contrary to the expectations of social identity theory and social pressure theory, the effect of perceived collective action is stronger among those who have a weaker national identity because they are more likely to rationally calculate the chance of winning by accounting for others’ decisions. To mitigate the endogeneity in post-conflict cross-sectional surveys, we conduct a survey experiment (n = 1,001) in Taiwan manipulating perceptions of others’ willingness to fight in a potential China–Taiwan military conflict. Experimental evidence supports the hypotheses that perceived collective action works only on weak Taiwanese identifiers. The result holds in robustness checks and in another nationally representative survey.

Suggested Citation

  • Austin Horng-En Wang & Nadia Eldemerdash, 2023. "National identity, willingness to fight, and collective action," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 60(5), pages 745-759, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:60:y:2023:i:5:p:745-759
    DOI: 10.1177/00223433221099058
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ronan Tse-min Fu & Weiwen Yin & Enze Han, 2025. "The human cost of war: An experimental study of Taiwanese attitudes towards war casualties," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 42(5), pages 559-577, September.

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