Shafaqna Health: A new study suggests that an intense need for personal significance, combined with belief in one’s group superiority, may help shape an extremist personality willing to sacrifice personal well-being for a cause, according to Psypost.
Published in Frontiers in Social Psychology, the research says extremism may stem not only from ideology but also from an underlying motivational imbalance in which one drive becomes overpowering.
Led by Pedro Altungy of the Universidad Europea de Madrid, the study analyzed survey responses from 328 adults in Spain and 222 prison inmates not convicted of terrorism-related crimes. Researchers examined participants’ desire to matter, recent feelings of humiliation or exclusion, collective narcissism and willingness to give up personal safety or comfort for a core value or group.
The results showed that both a chronic need for recognition and a recent loss of social worth were associated with stronger extreme personality traits. People with a stronger urge to feel important were also more likely to believe their group was exceptional but undervalued by outsiders.
That sense of group superiority was linked to a greater willingness to endure sacrifice for personal values or a reference group, the study found. The researchers say the findings support the idea that extremism can grow from a mix of insecurity, status-seeking and identification with an embattled group.
Source: Psypost
