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Related Experiment Videos

Understanding political radicalization: The two-pyramids model.

Clark McCauley1, Sophia Moskalenko1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College.

The American Psychologist
|April 7, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This review explores political radicalization, introducing a 2-pyramids model to separate opinion from action. It emphasizes the crucial role of emotional experience in understanding radicalization for both scholars and security officials.

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Area of Science:

  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Security Studies

Background:

  • Scholars and security officials have sought to understand precursors to terrorist violence, particularly after 9/11.
  • The concept of radicalization has faced criticism regarding its application and understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review milestones in the study of political radicalization.
  • To introduce and discuss the 2-pyramids model as a response to criticisms of radicalization concepts.
  • To highlight the importance of emotional experience in radicalization research.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of political radicalization studies.
  • Conceptual analysis leading to the development of the 2-pyramids model.
  • Discussion of security and research implications.

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Main Results:

  • The 2-pyramids model effectively separates radicalization of opinion from radicalization of action.
  • The model addresses criticisms by providing a more nuanced framework.
  • Emotional experience is identified as a key, yet under-explored, factor.

Conclusions:

  • The 2-pyramids model offers a refined approach to understanding political radicalization.
  • Further research should prioritize the role of emotions in both opinion and action radicalization.
  • This framework has significant implications for security policy and academic research.