ng behavior is an outgrowth of rational decisions, the question can be asked as to what is the nature of these decisions. In this regard, the Collective Action model postulates that a person will vote if there is an incentive to do so. In other words, motivation is a pivotal factor in the decision as to whether or not to cast a ballot.
The centrality of the foregoing models to voting behavior justifies their use as explanative frameworks for understanding the process by which group identification influences the decision to vote. Specifically, it is held here that these models can be used to support the contention that group identification processes operate to increase the probability that an individual will decide to vote rather than decide not to vote by increasing the voter's motivation through an appraisal of the costs and benefits of the voting decision.
The next section of this research offers support for this contention through a review of the empirical research on the influences of group identification on voting behavior. In order to enhance understanding, the section begins with a delineation of the group identification process.
Group Identification and Influences of Diverse Groups
Group identification is defined by Berger and Luckmann (1966) as a social process. Of this process, the authors report that one tends to identify with a given social group or collective to the extent that the group/collective is perceived as having one or more factors in common with the individual, e.g., common values and beliefs, common interests, common goals or objectives, and so forth.
That group collectives can influence the political behavior of its members is a well-established sociological finding (Schram & Sonnemans, 1996). As to the effects of this influence on the decision to or not to vote, a good deal of research has been conducted. A representative sampling of this research can now be reviewed.
Ethnic...