Quest for Significance and Violent Extremism

doi:10.1017/9781009407892.009

7 - Quest for Significance and Violent Extremism

from Part II - Individual-Level Perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2025

Erica Molinario ,

David Webber ,

Katarzyna Jasko and

Arie W. Kruglanski

Edited by

Milan Obaidi and

Jonas Kunst

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Milan Obaidi: Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
Jonas Kunst: Affiliation:
BI Norwegian Business School

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Summary

In this chapter, we discuss the psychological foundations of violent extremism. We consider violent extremism as a specific form of extreme behavior resulting from a radicalization process that involves inflicting a high-severity aggression or violence against people or properties as a means to achieve a political, ideological, or religious goal. Throughout our discussion, we focus on the role of the need for significance (Kruglanski et al., 2022) as a core psychological driver that prompts violent extremism. We review those factors that activate the need for significance, propelling individuals toward violent extremism. Specifically, we posit that when the quest for significance is activated, whether by personal or group-level experiences of significance loss or opportunities for gain, individuals seek avenues to fulfill this need through extreme actions that demonstrate their allegiance to socially esteemed values. In such scenarios, violent extremism emerges as a viable outlet, especially when bolstered by a narrative that promotes it and a supportive social network that endorses the narrative, offering validation and significance to individuals who express their commitment through their actions. Finally, we outline how the theoretical framework centered on the need for significance can inform the development and implementation of deradicalization programs by practitioners.

Keywords

need for significance loss of significance 3N model of radicalization narrative network violent extremism

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Violent Extremism , pp. 119 - 141

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009407892.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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