Moral Outrage Predicts the Virality of Petitions for Change on Social Media, But Not the Number of Signatures They Receive

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cris.lastimport.scopus2026-07-15T03:12:03Z
dc.abstract.enSocial media platforms help activists to share their perspectives. However, there is concern that amplified content (e.g., moral outrage) may limit collective action. We studied how online petitions on www.change.org were shared and signed. Analyzing posts on X (n = 1,286,442) with URLs to petitions (n = 24,785) revealed that expressions of moral outrage were uniquely associated with the number of times posts were liked and reposted (virality). Mediation analyses showed that outrage was indirectly related to the number of signatures petitions received (via virality). However, outrage was associated with fewer signatures when controlling for virality. In contrast, expressions of agency, group identity, and prosociality were associated with more signatures but no more virality. The findings outline the factors linked to engagement with online petitions and describe how social media can amplify content which has no direct link to the sorts of effortful behaviours which are conducive to social change.
dc.affiliationCentrum Badań nad Relacjami Społecznymi
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorLeach, Stefan
dc.contributor.authorFormanowicz, Magdalena
dc.contributor.authorNikadon, Jan
dc.contributor.authorCichocka, Aleksandra
dc.date.access2025-04-28
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-15T12:12:38Z
dc.date.available2026-07-15T12:12:38Z
dc.date.created2025-03-26
dc.date.issued2026-03
dc.description.accesstimebefore_publication
dc.description.additionalvorDo zmiany jest już nadany numer wydania i strony: Leach, S., Formanowicz, M., Nikadon, J., & Cichocka, A. (2026). Moral outrage predicts the virality of petitions for change on social media, but not the number of signatures they receive. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 17(2), 194–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506251335373
dc.description.grantnumber2020/37/B/HS6/02587
dc.description.granttitleRola Językowych Markerów Sprawczości w Mobilizacji Działań Kolektywnych
dc.description.issue2
dc.description.physical194-203
dc.description.sdgNoSDGsAreRelevantForThisPublication
dc.description.versionfinal_author
dc.description.volume17
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/19485506251335373
dc.identifier.eissn1948-5514
dc.identifier.issn1948-5506
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/1434
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19485506251335373
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsOther
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_REPOSITORY
dc.subject.enOnline activism
dc.subject.enClicktivism
dc.subject.enSocial media
dc.subject.enMoral outrage
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleMoral Outrage Predicts the Virality of Petitions for Change on Social Media, But Not the Number of Signatures They Receive
dc.title.journalSocial Psychological and Personality Science
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle