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Extreme Overvalued Beliefs: How Violent Extremist Beliefs Become "Normalized"
1Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. trahman@wustl.edu.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 13, 2018
Summary
Extreme overvalued beliefs (EOB) drive terrorism and mass shootings. Understanding EOBs aids in diagnosing violence and countering extremism, drawing parallels from online behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Social Psychology
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Extreme overvalued beliefs (EOB) are rigidly held, non-delusional convictions.
- EOBs are identified as the primary motivation for terrorism and mass shootings.
- Distinguishing EOBs from delusions and obsessions is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To refine the definition of EOBs for differential diagnosis in violent acts.
- To explore the role of group dynamics, conformity, and obedience in EOBs.
- To examine the application of the EOB construct to religious cults and conspiracy theories.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual refinement of Wernicke's overvalued idea concept.
- Application of the EOB construct to case studies of violent extremism.
- Analysis of group effects, conformity, and obedience in relation to EOBs.
Main Results:
- EOBs are a key psychological construct underlying acts of terrorism and mass violence.
- The study analyzes the form and content of EOBs within various groups, including cults and conspiracy theorists.
- Parallels are drawn between EOBs and online behaviors in eating disorders and consumerism for countering extremism.
Conclusions:
- The EOB construct provides a framework for understanding and diagnosing motivations behind violent extremism.
- Understanding group dynamics is essential for addressing the spread and impact of EOBs.
- Strategies for countering violent extremism can be informed by insights from online behaviors and consumer psychology.
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