Webber et al. (2018). The road to extremism: Field and experimental evidence that significance loss-induced need for closure fosters radicalization - Article summary

Significance loss occurs in situations that make one feel ashamed, humiliated or demeaned. These situations are inconsistent with the desire for a positive self-image and instil a sense of uncertainty about the self. This leads to motivation for people to seek certainty and closure that affords the restoration of personal significance. This can lead to increased interest in extremist ideologies as they offer a clear-cut strategy for this restoration.

Circumstances that lower one’s sense of significance induce self-uncertainty. This activates a need for closure. There is a relationship between feelings of insignificance and endorsement of extremism. This relationship may be mediated by a need for closure.

The significance quest theory (SQT) highlights the role of individual motivation in radicalization. The theory states that extreme behaviour is a mean to gaining or restoring an individual’s sense of personal significance, importance or effectiveness.

The pathway to radicalization often begins with a triggering event that activates the significance motive (e.g. a situation involving humiliation). There are two forms of significance loss; humiliation directed at one’s social group (1) and humiliation directed at personal circumstances (2). Humiliation directed at a social group is especially powerful for individuals who strongly identify with their group.

The need for cognitive closure refers to a desire for a quick and decisive answer and an aversion to ambiguity as a result of the circumstances that led to significance loss. Extremism refers to deviancy from a general pattern of behaviour or attitude that prevails in a given social context. Deviancy is relative to a specific standard. Extremism is context dependent.

Deviancy is typically costly and difficult to sustain. Individuals committed to extreme views tend to protect their deviancy from majority pressures by holding these views with considerable certainty because of the difficulties to sustain extreme views with majority pressures. Extreme views are thus often embedded in confidence-affording and clear-cut ideologies consensually supported by others who share the minority opinion.

The experience of personal humiliation is positively correlated with a need for closure. The experience of shame is positively correlated with a need for closure.

Significance loss can lead to extreme attitudes, regardless of participants’ political orientation. Worldview defence refers to increased endorsement of one’s cultural beliefs.

Extreme beliefs are specifically suited to fulfilling the need for closure induced by feelings of insignificance because it is non-normative. Self-uncertainty increases the appeal of extreme groups. Anxious uncertainty increases extremism.

The uncertainty-identity theory states that individuals are drawn to more extreme groups because identification with these groups provides a strong mechanism for uncertainty reduction. Extreme groups are adept at reducing uncertainty because they have clear defined group structures (1), a high internal homogeneity (2) and a common goal that has consensus (3).

Restoration of significance is a good method of rehabilitation of radicalization.