Supporting political violence: The role of ideological passion and social network

Bélanger, Jocelyn J.; Robbins, Blaine G.; Muhammad, Hayat; Moyano, Manuel; Nisa, Claudia F.; Schumpe, Birga M.; Blaya-Burgo, Michelle

doi:10.1177/1368430220933954

Cited by 31 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Second, in addition to laying the foundation for developing an animus towards those who contradict one's viewpoint, having a fragile ego influences the way in which people interact socially. In a recent set of studies [ 44 ], my colleagues and I made the prediction that ideologically obsessed individuals would be motivated to anchor themselves in groups with radical ideologies. Why?…”

Section: Sociocognitive Mechanisms Of Ideological Obsessionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sociocognitive processes of ideological obsession: review and policy implications

Bélanger

2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Understanding what motivates people to join violent ideological groups and engage in acts of cruelty against others is of great social and societal importance. In this paper, I posit that one necessary element is ‘ideological obsession’—an ideological commitment fuelled by unmet psychological needs and regulated by inhibitory and ego-defensive mechanisms. Drawing from evidence collected across cultures and ideologies, I describe four processes through which ideological obsession puts individuals on a path towards violence. First, ideological obsession deactivates moral self-regulatory processes, allowing unethical behaviours to be carried out without self-recrimination. Second, ideologically obsessed individuals are easily threatened by information that criticises their ideology, which in turn leads to hatred and violent retaliation. Third, ideological obsession changes people's social interactions by making them gravitate towards like-minded individuals who support ideological violence. As these social networks become more interconnected, they amplify one's adherence to violent extremism. Finally, ideologically obsessed individuals are prone to psychological reactance, making them immune to communication strategies intended to dissuade them from using violence. In fact, messages espousing non-violence can have the opposite effect by reinforcing their violence-supporting ideology. I conclude by presenting evidence-based strategies to prevent radicalisation leading to violence for individuals in pre-criminal spaces. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The political brain: neurocognitive and computational mechanisms’.

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Section: Sociocognitive Mechanisms Of Ideological Obsessionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sociocognitive processes of ideological obsession: review and policy implications

Bélanger

2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…This quest for understanding and meaning‐making can lead a person to a variety of worldviews. Recent research suggests that those with strong needs for, or inclinations to find, personal significance are more likely to affiliate with radical social networks and, in turn, support political violence on behalf of their cause (Bélanger et al., 2020). Some of the most powerful meaning‐making ideologies are the ones that help people understand their predicament or need.…”

Section: Part Iv: Recruitment and Radicalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Psychology of White Nationalism: Ambivalence Towards a Changing America

Reyna

Bellovary

Harris

2022

Social Issues Policy Review

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The rise in White nationalist ideology in America is one of the pressing issues of our times. In this article, we make the case that White nationalists both extol the talents and virtues of White Americans and idolize and romanticize a former White‐dominated America, while simultaneously condemning and demonizing the current state of America for Whites. This fundamentally ambivalent ideology contributes to dangerous downstream consequences such as fomenting violence against groups that threaten Whites’ status and resources and even calling for outright civil war. This article also examines the psychological impact of rapid demographic and cultural changes on groups in positions of power, and how these changes make some Whites, especially those who might already be suffering from instability, disenfranchisement, and loss, gravitate to groups who validate their fears and transform them into aggrieved entitlement and moral outrage. Finally, this article proposes policies that decision‐makers and other leaders can take to undo the foundational ideologies that White supremacy is built upon and to help curtail its spread.

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“…These studies have also emphasized personal and behavioral traits such as trauma, peer pressure, the need for self-recognition and belonging to a group, identity crisis, and the negative influence of poor mentorship by radical or rogue individuals in society as factors preparing a basis for radicalization (Post 2007;Beck 2008;McCauley and Moskalenko 2008;Neumann 2008;Dawson 2019;Ellis et al 2019;Orsini 2020). Consistently, radical groups continue to use these models to not only recruit and mobilize individuals into embracing their views, but they also exploit their needs and vulnerabilities, and continue to sustain such false narratives of violence, and religious, ideological and racial hate, to achieve their objective (Bélanger et al 2020).…”

Section: Radicalization and Counter-radicalization: Theoretical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Counter-Radicalization in Nigeria: The Case of Boko Haram

2021

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This article examines the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in counter-radicalization in Nigeria, with emphasis on the Boko Haram terrorist group operating in northeast Nigeria and the greater Lake Chad region. A qualitative methodological approach is employed that makes use of primary and secondary documents, key informant and stakeholder interviews, and focus group discussions with critical religious actors and organizations. The findings of the article suggest that FBOs play a critical role in the disengagement and deradicalization process of countering the ideological and radical messages of Boko Haram. However, challenges such as the lack of effective stakeholder involvement in the various initiatives by the state in counterterrorism, fear of reprisal and attacks, lack of unison by various FBOs and clerics in countering these negative messages, and the inability of relevant stakeholders in addressing structural factors such as poverty, social and economic exclusion, and unemployment that give rise to radicalization amongst other challenges, have impeded the effectiveness of the FBO sector in its counter-radicalization efforts in Nigeria. To address these challenges, the article proposes a bottom-up approach to counterterrorism that provides room for the multi-sectoral involvement of major stakeholders, especially FBOs, to complement pre-existing initiatives and other measures to counter the negative weaponization of religion by radical and rogue clerics, and also to prevent Boko Haram from expanding its frontiers.

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Supporting political violence: The role of ideological passion and social network

Cited by 31 publications

References 77 publications

The sociocognitive processes of ideological obsession: review and policy implications

The sociocognitive processes of ideological obsession: review and policy implications

The Psychology of White Nationalism: Ambivalence Towards a Changing America

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Counter-Radicalization in Nigeria: The Case of Boko Haram

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