Proviolence as a mediator in the relationship between the dark personality traits and support for extremism

Abstract

The role of individual differences in radicalization and extremism generally seems to be understudied. However, newer studies point out to the importance of including dark personality traits in assessment of radicalization and extremism. Therefore, this study aims at investigating the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and cognitive radicalization or extremism as an ideology that promotes use of violence in achieving political goals. Moreover, the role of proviolence inclination as a mediator and gender as a moderator of relationships between the Dark Triad and support for political violence was tested. A sample of 299 college students completed questionnaires related to the dark personality traits and extremism. The results of SEM and bootstrapped partial correlations corroborated the personality-extremism relationship and the role of proviolence as its mediator, both in the general sample and among men and women, highlighting the importance of the Dark Triad in the prediction of extremism and robustness of proviolence as a mediator in this relationship.