Abstract Interest groups intent on spurring political participation often highlight potential threats to galvanize audiences into action. However, while loss aversion is typically seen as a strong motivator, it is important not to neglect the motivational effect of hope and reward‐seeking behavior as people navigate their political landscape. By drawing on a renewed focus on the simultaneous role of positive and negative emotions when processing risk appraisals, this paper reassesses the most effective ways to frame threat messages surrounding immigration activism. I test the major claims of this model with two original online survey experiments of Latino adults in the United States ( n = 1,001; n = 1,266), including a vignette and emotion‐induction design. The results demonstrate that a mobilizing message combining elements of both threat (loss) and opportunity (gain)—primed by negative and positive emotions—is a significant catalyst of various forms of collective action, including informal and formal forms of political participation.
Vanessa Cruz Nichols (2026) studied this question.