Cognitive Inflexibility Predicts Extremist Attitudes.

ABSTRACT: Research into the roots of ideological extremism has traditionally focused on the social, economic, and demographic factors that make people vulnerable to adopting hostile attitudes toward outgroups. However, there is insufficient empirical work on individual differences in implicit cognition and information processing styles that amplify an individual's susceptibility to endorsing violence to protect an ideological cause or group. Here we present original evidence that objectively assessed cognitive inflexibility predicts extremist attitudes, including a willingness to harm others, and sacrifice one's life for the group. Across two samples (N = 1,047) from the United Kingdom and United States, structural equation models demonstrated that cognitive inflexibility predicted endorsemen

SUBMITTER: Zmigrod L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6514156 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature