The Effect Of Moral Judgment On Mass Incident Intention

Now and over the next 15 to 25 years are the high happening period of mass incident in China. WanZhou Event(2004), WengAn Event(2008) were the typical mass incidents. In Chinese official files, mass incident means a kind of attack against local government office or government officials by a group of people that is sudden, short, out-of-order, and with no clear and definite political assertion, which is one kind of collective action. The typical characteristics of mass incident is that attacks against local government office or government officials, breaking social order, and sudden.Present researches pointed out that one of most remarkable features is that most people have no personal interest in the mass incidents. These participants can be named non-personal interest participants. Now many researches pointed out many factors of mass incidents, but no research can explain why so many non-personal interest people participate in mass incidents. On the basis of the concepts of moral judgment, opinion-based group, and the indirect cause of the French Revolution (Le Boin,1895/2011), this research hypothesized that many non-personal interest participants form a wide range of opinion-based group on the basis of moral judgment on the government and officials. The members of this kind of opinion-based group participate in mass incidents beyond the specific group boundaries and personal interest. Because of the opinion-based group formation, this kind of mass incidents don’t need explicit action mobilization. This research also hypothesized that personal injustice, life-satisfactory and its external attribution, and political efficacy influenced mass incident participation through moral judgment.In the study 1(a vignette experiment),1085 undergraduates participated in it with 481 males and 604 females. The level of moral judgment on the government and officials was manipulated by the description of the moral judgment made by the local population; anger and mass incident intention were measured afterward. The study found that anger partially mediated the relationship between moral judgment and mass incident intention. Study 2 (a survey) in which 876 undergraduates participated found the similar effect.In the study 3(a vignette experiment),92 undergraduates participated in it with 40 males and 52 females. The level of unjust treatment was manipulated by the description of just or unjust treatment in the land acquisition by local government, the moral judgment made by the local population. Moral judgment on the government and officials, anger, and mass incident intention were measured afterward. Study 3 found that unjust treatment influenced mass incident intention through moral judgment and anger. Study 4 (a survey) in which 847 undergraduates participated found the similar effect.In the study 5(a vignette experiment),1933 undergraduates participated in it with 855 males and 1078 females. Life-satisfactory and its external attribution were manipulated by the description of a person who was satisfied with his life or not and he attributed the reason to himself or the social circumstance. Moral judgment, anger, and mass incident intention were measured afterward. Study 5 found that Life-satisfactory and its external attribution influenced mass incident intention through moral judgment and anger. Study 6 (a survey) in which 904 undergraduates participated found the similar effect.In the study 7(a vignette experiment),1029 undergraduates participated in it with 466 males and 583 females. Political efficacy was manipulated by the description of the government’s responsive degree to the population. Moral judgment, anger, and mass incident intention were measured afterward. Study 7 found that political efficacy influenced mass incident intention through moral judgment and anger. Study 8 (a survey) in which 1225 undergraduates participated found the similar effect.The results supported all the hypotheses. The results suggested that moral judgment is the important reason why so many non-personal interest participants participate in mass incidents. The more the people think the governments and the officials to be immoral, the higher intention to participate mass in incident. The results also suggested that personal injustice, life-satisfactory and its external attribution, and political efficacy influenced mass incident participation through moral judgment. In colloquial usage, the public attitude for or against the government is the essential factor of mass incident intention. It also suggested that it is right for the Chinese government always attach great importance to its popularity.The main contribution of this research is it explained why so many non-personal interest participants participate in mass incidents. There are shortcomings in this research’s sampling and research method. This research suggests that the Chinese government improve their moral image, enhance forewarning of mass incidents on the basis of empirical research, and guide the people to express interest demand or moral demand.