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The Quest for Significance : Attitude Adaption to a Radical Group Following Social Exclusion

Bäck, Emma A. LU ; Bäck, Hanna LU orcid ; Altermark, Niklas LU and Knapton, Holly LU (2018) In International Journal of Developmental Sciences 12(1-2). p.25-36
Abstract

It is a human fundamental to desire to be valued, loved and respected - to be significant. Social exclusion induce significance loss which elicits a 'quest for significance' - the search for opportunities to re-gain significance. The present article establishes this relation in a laboratory experiment (N = 71, mean age = 28, SD = 10.42, 65% women, 35% men), showing that socially excluded individuals who are subsequently included by a radical group, adapt their attitudes in line with this group. We use a modified version of the well-known paradigm 'Cyberball' to elicit the quest for significance. The results show that when experiencing social exclusion, highly rejection sensitive individuals tend to adapt to the radical group's opinions.... (More)

It is a human fundamental to desire to be valued, loved and respected - to be significant. Social exclusion induce significance loss which elicits a 'quest for significance' - the search for opportunities to re-gain significance. The present article establishes this relation in a laboratory experiment (N = 71, mean age = 28, SD = 10.42, 65% women, 35% men), showing that socially excluded individuals who are subsequently included by a radical group, adapt their attitudes in line with this group. We use a modified version of the well-known paradigm 'Cyberball' to elicit the quest for significance. The results show that when experiencing social exclusion, highly rejection sensitive individuals tend to adapt to the radical group's opinions. The results are important, highlighting a mechanism in the radicalization process and the importance of taking social factors into account in this process.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
conformity, Cyberball, Radicalization, social exclusion
in
International Journal of Developmental Sciences
volume
12
issue
1-2
pages
12 pages
publisher
IOS Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85053204983
ISSN
2192-001X
DOI
10.3233/DEV-170230
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a52df450-c008-49ce-9e79-4db683f75630
date added to LUP
2018-10-24 12:53:57
date last changed
2024-01-15 03:09:35
@article{a52df450-c008-49ce-9e79-4db683f75630,
  abstract     = {{<p>It is a human fundamental to desire to be valued, loved and respected - to be significant. Social exclusion induce significance loss which elicits a 'quest for significance' - the search for opportunities to re-gain significance. The present article establishes this relation in a laboratory experiment (N = 71, mean age = 28, SD = 10.42, 65% women, 35% men), showing that socially excluded individuals who are subsequently included by a radical group, adapt their attitudes in line with this group. We use a modified version of the well-known paradigm 'Cyberball' to elicit the quest for significance. The results show that when experiencing social exclusion, highly rejection sensitive individuals tend to adapt to the radical group's opinions. The results are important, highlighting a mechanism in the radicalization process and the importance of taking social factors into account in this process.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bäck, Emma A. and Bäck, Hanna and Altermark, Niklas and Knapton, Holly}},
  issn         = {{2192-001X}},
  keywords     = {{conformity; Cyberball; Radicalization; social exclusion}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{25--36}},
  publisher    = {{IOS Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Developmental Sciences}},
  title        = {{The Quest for Significance : Attitude Adaption to a Radical Group Following Social Exclusion}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/DEV-170230}},
  doi          = {{10.3233/DEV-170230}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}