Motivated by Significance: Exploring the Role of the Quest for Significance in Collective Actions Toward Migrants

Migration represents one of the defining challenges of contemporary societies, eliciting polarized collective responses. This doctoral research integrates the Significance-Quest Theory (SQT) with collective action research to examine the motivational processes that drive such divergent reactions among majority-group members. Specifically, it investigates how the quest for significance (QFS) – the motivation to feel valued, respected, and socially meaningful – shapes attitudes and collective actions toward migrants. Across eight studies conducted in Italy, Spain, and the United States, this project examined both the personal and collective dimensions of the QFS, combining cross-sectional and experimental designs. The first empirical section (six studies) focused on the personal dimension of the QFS, showing that experiences or perceptions of diminished significance activate motivational processes that can lead to either exclusionary or inclusive collective engagement. Studies 1-3 revealed that QFS – activated by significance loss – increases prejudice and, through it, promotes opposition to migrants and reduced participation in pro-migrant collective actions. The moral foundation of Proportionality moderated this process: stronger endorsement of merit-based justice amplified prejudice effects on reduced prosocial engagement, while attenuating hostile mobilization. The second subsection (Studies 4a-4b) shows that the same motivation (QFS) can promote inclusive collective actions when significance restoration is achieved through identification with prosocial groups (e.g., pro-migrant activists). The second empirical section (two studies) examined the collective dimension of the QFS (CQFS) – the shared motivation to affirm the value and recognition of one’s group. At this level, higher CQFS predicted stronger support for restrictive migration policies, whereas perceptions of collective loss (vs. control) worsened moral attributions towards migrants and increased intergroup threat, resulting in less commitment to migrants and greater opposition. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the QFS – whether personal or collective – is a dynamic and flexible motivational force underlying the collective reactions of natives to migration. Depending on ideological narratives and social contexts, the same motivation can yield both exclusionary and solidaristic engagement. Limitations and future directions are outlined, and theoretical and applied implications are discussed.