The psychology of offensive and defensive intergroup violence: Preregistered insights from 58 countries

Historically, intergroup violence has been motivated by both offensive and defensive goals, often blending narratives of protection with ambitions of domination. In a preregistered study spanning 58 countries, we show that defensive and offensive extremist intentions are positively correlated yet psychologically distinct, relating differently to individual and societal factors. Defensive extremist intentions were far more common and primarily linked to narcissism and Machiavellianism, whereas offensive extremist intentions were primarily associated with social dominance orientation and religious fundamentalism, were lower in more democratic and developed societies, and higher in those experiencing violence and conflict. This global evidence suggests that violent extremist intentions are not a single phenomenon but encapsulate two distinct motivational pathways, underscoring the importance of tailored intervention strategies.

Lien éditeur : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2535665123
Lien open access : https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/wqvyj_v2