Psychology of Violence, Vol 15(1), Jan 2025, 32-42; doi:10.1037/vio0000523
Objective: While psychologists have extensively highlighted the issues that stem from engaging with extreme material online, the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between exposure and willingness to engage in activism and/or radicalism remain relatively understudied. In this article, we outline two predominant perspectives. One focused on trait aggression, and the second focused on motivation using Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST). Method: This study examines the potential interactions of trait aggression with individual differences in core components of RST using the Experimental Test of Radical Emotional Engagement Inventory, an experimental online survey design that measures engagement with and influence by extreme online content. Results: Extending previous research on aggression and motivation, this study (n = 552) found that whether trait RST functions (both behavioral inhibition and fight–flight–freeze system sensitivity) were a risk factor for activism/radicalism in reaction to extremist content online was dependent on the individual’s trait levels of aggression. Conclusions: These findings offer an important extension of current research and provide a more in-depth understanding of the ways in which online exposure to extremist content interacts with individual traits to impact the behavioral intentions of individuals following exposure to extremist content. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)