When Values Collide: A Mixed-methods Exploration of The Notion of Social Contract

Gomilko, Mark (2025) When Values Collide: A Mixed-methods Exploration of The Notion of Social Contract. Research Master thesis, Research Master.

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Abstract

Major "trigger events" in democracies, such as the U.S. Capitol riot or the Trump assassination attempt, can heighten tensions by fuelling conflict and demonstrations. As one group moves to defend its values, the opposing group may respond in kind, creating a cycle of escalating conflict. The Intergroup Value Protection Model (IVPM; van Zomeren et al., 2024) provides a theoretical framework to understand when and why individuals react to outgroup actions violating the ingroup’s values, leading them to protect their values with sometimes hostile and destructive responses. The model further suggests that what keeps societies together in such events is their perception of the social contract - that is, the shared values between political groups that buffer against further escalation. However, little is known about how people perceive this notion, and whether it’s perceived strength or fragility escalates or de-escalates a political clash. The goal of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to enrich our understanding about the content of social contract and its violation, as well as to examine whether multiple types of value protections emerge when the ingroups’ values are threatened. By asking U.S. Democrats (N = 55) about each component, we learned more about why some „trigger events” are met with destructive protest, and others with only mild condemnations. Via thematic analysis, our findings identified two distinct pathways in response to outgroup threats: one leading to escalation, and the other fostering potential de-escalation and negotiation, extending the IVPM.

Item Type:	Thesis (Research Master)
Supervisor name:	Zomeren, M. van
Degree programme:	Research Master
Differentiation route:	Understanding Societal Change [Research Master]
Date Deposited:	28 Mar 2025 14:46
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2025 14:46
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4792

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