Ideological obsession: Unraveling the psychological roots of radicalization

New research has found a significant relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, obsessive passion for ideological beliefs, and radical intentions. The study, published in the journal Aggressive Behavior, suggests that the intensity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms could be a key factor in understanding why some individuals develop extreme, often violent, ideological beliefs.

The motivation behind this research was to deepen the understanding of what drives radicalization in individuals, a topic of growing importance in today’s global landscape. With the rise in extremist activities and ideologies, ranging from Islamist terrorism to populist movements in Western countries, unraveling the psychological processes behind these developments has become crucial. This understanding is vital for maintaining peace and security, as well as for developing effective interventions to prevent and counter violent extremism.

“My co-author Jocelyn Belanger discovered and coined ‘ideological obsession,'” explained first author Jais Adam-Troian, an assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and an external behavioral science consultant for Bellegarde. “The latest meta-analyses show it is the largest predictor of radical intentions. I pointed out to him that ideological obsession shares common features found in OCD. He agreed and we decided to test if ideological obsession and radical intentions were related to OCD symptoms.”

To explore these relationships, the researchers conducted a series of surveys from December 2021 to March 2022. The study targeted different ideological and religious groups, including environmental activists, Democrats, Republicans, and Muslims. The participants, all U.S. citizens, were chosen based on their self-identification with these groups during a pre-screening survey. A total of 1,120 individuals completed the relevant surveys, providing a substantial dataset for analysis.

The researchers employed a range of measures in their surveys to assess various psychological aspects. These included scales to measure participants’ passion for their ideologies, distinguishing between harmonious passion (a balanced and controlled interest) and obsessive passion (an uncontrollable and overpowering interest).

The researchers also measured the commitment of participants to their ideologies, their support for both peaceful and violent activism, and the severity of their obsessive-compulsive symptoms using a specialized scale. Additionally, factors such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and adverse childhood experiences were included as supplementary variables in the study.

The findings were consistent across the different groups. There was a notable positive link between the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and obsessive passion towards ideologies. Furthermore, both these factors were found to be predictors of radical intentions, suggesting a progression from obsessive-compulsive symptoms to obsessive passion, and subsequently to radical thoughts and behaviors. This pattern remained robust even after adjusting for other factors like anxiety and depression.

“The consistency of the findings and straightforward replication across all four samples,” Adam-Troian told PsyPost. “It is now obvious with hindsight but remember that when we started this project, most of the literature concluded that there was no reason to expect strong links between mental health and radical intentions.”

In a more detailed analysis using structural equation modeling, a statistical technique that helps understand complex relationships between variables, the researchers discovered that obsessive passion acts as a mediator. This means that obsessive-compulsive symptoms indirectly influenced radical intentions through obsessive passion. In other words, the intensity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms could lead to a more obsessive involvement in ideological beliefs, which in turn could lead to radical intentions.

“Radicalization, whether religious or political, may be the byproduct of OCD symptoms that revolve around ideology (instead of health, cleanliness or other common OCD themes),” Adam-Troian said. “At least that’s what we believe and these results are the first to provide some degree of evidence for this hypothesis. Much more research needs to be done though; this is just the first step.”

Despite these insightful findings, there are some limitations to note. Future studies could compare violent intentions among individuals with clinical and subclinical obsessive-compulsive disorder, or examine incarcerated terrorists and violent activists for OCD symptoms. Additionally, the researchers caution against overgeneralizing the findings beyond English-speaking Western countries, given that all the participants were from the U.S. population.

It is also important to note that the study does not suggest that individuals suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder inherently pose a greater security threat in terms of radicalization potential. Instead, it highlights that the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms is a risk factor for developing radical attitudes. An individual can exhibit symptoms of OCD without meeting the criteria for a clinical diagnosis. This distinction is crucial to avoid misunderstandings about the implications of the study.

“All our samples come from the United States, and we investigated subclinical forms of OCD measured with the the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms scale,” Adam-Troian explained. “Ideally, we should wait for other teams to replicate these findings in other countries with other ideological groups. More evidence could be provided from research designs comparing radical intentions between OCD and non-OCD populations.”

“If these results hold, then we believe CBT protocols that are effective to treat OCD could be repurposed for applications in radicalization prevention and de-radicalization,” he added.

The study, “‘Consumed by creed’: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms underpin ideological obsession and support for political violence“, was published November 14, 2023.