Ep 303: Significance Quest Theory: How Do We De-Radicalize People?

We know a lot about why individuals join extremist groups, what can we do about it? How do we bring them back to society and help them have meaningful lives again? This is the second of 2 episodes on this topic and what we learn here also applies to school shooters. Here are some concrete suggestions, supported by extensive research.

Resources on Extremism

• • Violent Extremism: What’s the Psychology Behind It?

• • Kruglanski, A., Jasko, K., Webber, D., Chernikova, M., & Molinario, E. (2018). The making of violent extremists. Review of General Psychology, 22(1), 107-120. doi:10.1037/gpr0000144

• • The Road to Extremism: Field and Experimental Evidence ThatSignificance Loss-Induced Need for Closure Fosters Radicalization

• • Dr. Arie Kruglanski Discusses Psychology Behind Terrorist Recruitment

• • How A Danish Town Helped Young Muslims Turn Away From ISIS