Online radicalization is among the most vexing challenges the world faces today. Here, we demonstrate that homogeneity in moral concerns results in increased levels of radical intentions. In Study 1, we find that in Gab—a right-wing extremist network—the degree of moral convergence within a cluster predicts the number of hate-speech messages members post. In Study 2, we replicate this observation in another extremist network, Incels. In Studies 3 to 5 ( N = 1,431), we demonstrate that experimentally leading people to believe that others in their hypothetical or real group share their moral views increases their radical intentions as well as willingness to fight and die for the group. Our findings highlight the role of moral convergence in radicalization, emphasizing the need for diversity of moral worldviews within social networks.

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Online radicalization is among the most vexing challenges the world faces today. Here, we demonstrate that homogeneity in moral concerns results in increased levels of radical intentions. In Study 1, we find that in Gab – a right-wing extremist network – the degree of moral convergence within a cluster, predicts the number of hate-speech messages members post. In Study 2, we replicate this effect in another extremist network; Incels. In Study 3 (N = 333), we demonstrate that experimentally leading people to believe that others in their group share their moral views increases their radical intentions. Study 4 (N = 510) replicates this effect in a stratified representative sample, and finds that this causal link may be explained by the degree to which individuals’ identities are fused with their ingroup. Our findings highlight the role of moral convergence and identity fusion in radicalization, emphasizing the need for diversity of moral worldviews within social networks.