Radicalization Leading to Violence: A Test of the 3N Model

Abstract

The present research examines the social cognitive processes underlying ideologically-based violence through the lens of the 3N model of radicalization. To test this theory, we introduce two new psychometric instruments—a social alienation and a support for political violence scale—developed in collaboration with 13 subject matter experts on terrorism. Using these instruments, we test the theory's hypotheses in four different cultural settings. In Study 1, Canadians reporting high levels of social alienation (Need) expressed greater support for political violence (Narrative), which in turn positively predicted wanting to join a radical group (Network), controlling for other measures related to political violence. Study 2a and 2b replicated these findings in Pakistan and in Spain, respectively. Using an experimental manipulation of social alienation, Study 3 extended these findings with an American sample and demonstrated that moral justification is one of the psychological mechanisms linking social alienation to supporting political violence. Implications and future directions for the psychology of terrorism are discussed.

Evidence-based messaging to decrease food waste at the consumer level

“…Our results corroborate previous evidence about public service announcements: their effectiveness typically falls short of expectations (17)(18), and there is consistent evidence ** ** * * about the psychological processes that may counteract the expected effects. First, more imperative messages (e.g., "Stop Food Waste") tend to be ineffective and potentially counterproductive because they tend to elicit psychological reactance i.e., resistance to feeling one's freedom is threatened (19).…”

“…In this study, we test the impact of messages combining bundles of stimuli -the most common form of food waste messages (7-9). These bundled messages share an underlying assumption that, the more pieces of information included, the more effective the message will be (17). We replicate the test of the stimuli shown more effective in Studies 1 and 2, in addition to introducing tips for action to cut food waste.…”

Social inclusion level of Spanish and foreign adolescents: Proposal for an evaluation instrument

“…Regarding religion, the same pattern was found, with non-Christians presenting lower levels of inclusion in needs covered, social support and social integration. In the short term, this may lead to frustration, poor mood, and asocial behaviours, while, in the long term, this could culminate in marginalization (Bélanger et al, 2019 ; Lyons-Padilla et al, 2015 ). As expected, those who did not conform to the majority’s terms (i.e., Spanish nationality and Christian religion) presented worse levels of inclusion (Rúa et al, 2019 ).…”

Recent advances, misconceptions, untested assumptions, and future research agenda for identity fusion theory

“…As we mentioned earlier, individuals who are not fused might perform self‐sacrificial behavior, and fusion can interact with other factors (e.g., threat, values) to amplify pro‐group actions. In fact, there are already several theoretical proposals that integrate fusion with other determinants of extreme behavior such as the devoted actor model (Gómez et al, 2017; Sheikh et al, 2016; Vázquez et al, 2020) and the 3 N model (Bélanger et al, 2019; Kruglanski, Bélanger, & Gunaratna, 2019; Webber & Kruglanski, 2016). These proposals are still in an initial phase of validation, but in the near future they will surely improve our understanding of extremism and radicalization.…”