Mobilizing the global community to combat Ebola: Psychological effects of the Band Aid 30 campaign

ABSTRACT

A 1 × 3 experiment (N = 99) investigated the effects of the Band Aid 30 music video on psychological processes underlying the willingness to volunteer to combat Ebola. As expected, exposure to the Band Aid music video moderated the relationships among identification with the national or human community and willingness to volunteer. Identification with the national community was a stronger predictor of willingness to volunteer among participants in the two comparison conditions (i.e., the conditions of no exposure to the music video) than among participants in the music video condition. Conversely, identification with the human community was a stronger predictor of willingness to volunteer among participants presented with the music video than among participants in the two comparison conditions. In addition, two individual orientations emerged as positive predictors, namely, motivation to control prejudice (in the comparison conditions), and empathic concern (in the music video condition). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-group volunteerism
• Ebola
• identification with all humanity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stefan Stürmer

Stefan Stürmer, PhD, is Professor of Social Psychology at the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany. A particular emphasis of his research is on the role of group processes in prosocial behavior and collective action. Anette Rohmann, PhD, is Professor of Community Psychology at the FernUniversität in Hagen. Her research focuses on acculturation, intergroup relations, social diversity and the use of scientific evidence in practice. Jolanda van der Noll, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Community Psychology at the FernUniversität in Hagen. Her research focuses on political psychology, cultural diversity, value conflicts, and Islamophobia.