Psychological 'signature' for the extremist mind uncovered by Cambridge researchers
21-FEB-2021
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Research News
Researchers have mapped an underlying "psychological signature" for people who are predisposed to holding extreme social, political or religious attitudes, and support violence in the name of ideology.
A new study suggests that a particular mix of personality traits and unconscious cognition - the ways our brains take in basic information - is a strong predictor for extremist views across a range of beliefs, including nationalism and religious fervour.
These mental characteristics include poorer working memory and slower "perceptual strategies" - the unconscious processing of changing stimuli, such as shape and colour - as well as tendencies towards impulsivity and sensation seeking.
This combination of cognitive and emotional attributes predicts the endorsement of violence in support of a person's ideological "group", according to findings published today in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
More:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/uoc-pf021721.php
mopinko
(69,805 posts)a devout catholic but also a burner and a druggie.
in a long term relationship, but always got somethin on the side, so when she kicks him out he has a couch. that's his idea of how to manage a relationship.
looking under everyone's bed for pedos, but still good w the church.
smart guy. rly smart. but lost his law license for growing pot. now a paralegal who deals weed to the partners.
speak easy
(9,100 posts)There are more common words for this combination
bucolic_frolic
(42,663 posts)Sounds like a somewhat weak form of borderline personality disorder to me.
wnylib
(21,146 posts)and seems to fit pretty well what we have seen in foreign and domestic terrorism.
I am curious what the profile would be for extremists on the left. As leftists, we don't like to believe that there can be extremists on our side of the political spectrum, but it does happen. What would be the profile of people who supported the comminist revolution in Cuba, the Soviet Russian government, and the Vietnamese who fought on behalf of a communist reunion of north and south? All of those movements began on the left, and with good cause against conservative dictatorships. They involved nationalism, strong ideological beliefs, and violence in the form of terroristic attacks and wars, not to mention genocidal purges in Soviet Russia once the new system was in power.
I'd be interested in knowing what leads to extremism to the point of rigid ideology and violence from either side of the political spectrum.
FailureToCommunicate
(13,989 posts)of research.
The Republican "brain" is wired differently. Very little empathy. Looks out for self. Narrow worldview...etc.
Here is the study cited in the article: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-44422-001?doi=1
FrankTC
(210 posts)Many individuals with ADHD are characterized by working memory deficits, slower processing speed, and stimulation (or thrill) seeking. The finding suggests that extremists are attracted to their views (OMG pedophiles in the basement eating pizza with sauteed babies!) due to the activating effects of the cataclysmic perceptions. Disclaimer: Not everyone with ADHD is an extremist, some people with ADHD are not thrill seeking, etc, because there are different types. But the classic type generally involves underarousal in the prefrontal cortex for which stimulant medication or stimulating beliefs may bring relief. Also: I haven't read the research report, and I imagine there are other factors that contribute to the end product of Fox News addiction. But the research finding suggests that intense outrage activation may serve a biological function.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)You hint that this kind of craziness (e.g. Qpublicanism) might possibly be amenable to medical treatment.
I hope you're right.
Next question: How do we get them to treatment?