Perceived support and upward mobility as determinants of revolutionary coalitional behavior

An experiment using three-person groups tested the hypothesis that the propensity of a low-status member to engage in revolutionary coalitional behavior against a leader depended on two structural properties of the group: the lack of potential upward mobility, and perceived lack of support for the high-status leader by other low-status members. Subjects worked on a collective judgment task in a situation that enabled low-status members to contravene the established status hierarchy and form revolutionary coalitions limiting the prerogatives of the leader. Results show that mobility itself exerted no effect on revolutionary behavior. However, several factors often associated with upward mobility, such as increased commitment to the stratified system and intensified concern with evaluation by high-status members, do relate negatively to coalitional activity. The data also indicate a strong propensity for subjects to engage in coalitional activity when they perceived the leader to lack support. This effect was explained in terms of heightened subjective probability of success for insurrection and increased dissatisfaction over inequitable rewards.