Motivated inaction: when collective disadvantage does not induce collective action

Why do people often fail to act out against their disadvantage? One explanation has been in terms of just-world beliefs, which cloud perceptions of injustice. An additional route to inaction is proposed here: Just-world believers refrain from acting because they do not see the necessity, as they expect in a just world all will turn out well in the long run (i.e., all-will-be-well motivation). This hypothesis was tested in a situation of collective injustice typically studied by collective action researchers; namely, demonstration attendance/collective action intentions of students confronted with government cuts. Results revealed high just-world believers were less likely to engage in collective action. Importantly, effects were mediated by all-will-be-well motivation. Implications for studying determinants of inaction are discussed.