Quest for Significance and Violent Extremism: The Case of Domestic Radicalization

The study tested this prediction in a sample of individuals who had committed ideologically motivated crimes in the United States. The study found that experiences of economic and social loss of significance were separate and positive predictors related to the use of violence by perpetrators of ideologically motivated crimes. The study also found evidence that the presence of radicalized others (friends but not family members) in the individuals' social networks increased their likelihood of using violence. (publisher abstract modified)