Predictors of intentions to participate in politics and actual political behaviors in young adulthood

Abstract

Drawing on data from a three-wave longitudinal study, the present research examined predictors of young adults' intentions to participate in politics and their actual political activities while referring to the broader assumptions of the theory of planned behavior. The analyses were based on a sample of university students from the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. The results showed that attitudes toward political behaviors and internal political efficacy beliefs explained changes in students' intentions to participate in politics. However, the perceived meaning that political participation has for important others had no additional effect. Furthermore, students' intentions to participate in politics and their internal political efficacy beliefs predicted changes in their actual behaviors. Together, the findings supported the theory of planned behaviors as a useful framework helping to predict young adults' intentions and actual involvement in political activities.

IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2016 Assessment Framework

“…Students' expectations of political participation as adults: Young people who intend to participate in political activities have been shown to be much more likely to actually participate at a later point in time (Eckstein, Noack, & Gniewosz, 2013). In ICCS 2009 these types of behavioral intentions were measured with set of nine items (two of which were optional for countries), which was used to measure two different constructs (expected electoral participation and expected participation in political activities).…”

Aspects of students’ civic engagement

“…Evidence suggests that young people who intend to participate in political activities are more likely to actually participate at a later point in time (Eckstein, Noack, & Gniewosz, 2013). ICCS 2016 investigated students' intentions to engage in civic activities outside their school or expectations of doing so.…”

Moral judgment, political ideology and collective action

“…Other social psychology studies suggest that political action can be better understood as the product of the association between different variables, including social identity (Gómez, Brooks, Buhrmester, Vázquez, Jetten & Swann, ; Khan, Hopkins, Reicher, Tewari, Srinivasan & Stevenson, ; Klandermans, ; Klandermans, Sabucedo, Rodriguez & Weerd, ; Sabucedo, Durán & Alzate, ; van Zomeren, Postmes, Spears & Bettache, ), activist identity and commitment (Blackwood & Louis, ; Kelly & Breinlinger, ; Klar & Kasser, ; Louis, Amiot, Thomas & Blackwood, ; Simi, Futrell & Bubolz, ), the perception of injustice (Klandermans, van der Toorn & van Stekelenburg, ; Simon & Klandermans, ; Sabucedo et al ., ; Thomas, McGarty & Mavor, ; van Zomeren et al ., ; van Zomeren, Postmes & Spears, ), the perception of efficacy (Bandura, ; Eckstein, Noack & Gniewosz, ; Gamson, ; Klandermans et al ., ; Van Stekelenburg, Klandermans & van Dijk, ), personal political salience (Curtin, Stewart & Duncan, ; Duncan, ; Duncan & Stewart, ), life purpose (Ballard, Malin, Porter, Colby & Damon, ; Ballard, Pavlova, Sibereisen & Damon, ; Malin, Ballard & Damon, ) and emotions (Drury & Reicher, ; Páez, Rimé, Basabe, Wlodarczyk & Zumeta, ; Sabucedo et al ., , ; Sabucedo & Vilas, ; Wlodarczyk, Basabe, Páez & Zumeta, ).…”