Relationship Between Identity Fusion and Extremist Attitudes of Young

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the relationship between the intensity of extremist attitudes: fanatical, nationalistic, xenophobic and authoritarian, and the identity fusion with the country of young people aged 14–24. The analyzed sample included 181 respondents (the average age is 16.9 years; 111 girls and 70 boys). The extremist attitudes of the subjects were identified using the extremist-destructive personality setting method by K. V. Zlokazov. In order to diagnose identity by type of fusion, a verbal test of identity fusion by A. Gomez et al. was used. Correlation analysis was applied to test the hypothesis of a higher level of extremist attitudes of young people characterized by identity fusion. The analysis showed the presence of reliable positive correlations between the intensity of fanatical and xenophobic attitudes and the intensity of identity fusion. Young people characterized by identity fusion with the country are reluctant to contact representatives of outgroups. They avoid contact with representatives of other nationalities, religions, and beliefs, and are more focused on religious ideas, considering religious norms to be an important part of their lives. The absence of significant correlations between the intensity of the identity fusion and other extremist attitudes (nationalistic and authoritarian) indicates that the fused identity is not related to discriminating attitudes towards other nationalities and the desire for uncontrollable, unlimited power. Probably in the face of a real threat from the outgroup, young people with identity fusion may begin to approve of hostile policies and repressive methods against the group that poses the threat.