On the psychological trail of right-wing radicalism

In a new book, researchers from the universities of Trier and Jena shed light on how people develop right-wing extremist thoughts and behaviour.

 

 

Die Ergebnisse der zurückliegenden Europawahl haben es deutlich gezeigt: rechte Parteien sind auf dem Vormarsch. In zahlreichen EU-Mitgliedstaaten gab es für sie Zugewinne. Auch für die anstehenden Landtagswahlen in einigen deutschen Bundesländern werden hohe Stimmenanteile für rechte Parteien erwartet. Diese Zahlen deuten darauf hin, dass immer mehr Menschen rechtspopulistische und rechtsradikale Gedanken nicht nur tolerieren, sondern auch teilen und unterstützen. Den Gründen dafür gehen der Psychologe Prof. Dr. Tobias Rothmund von der Uni Jena und die Psychologin Prof. Dr. Eva Walther von der Uni Trier in ihrem Buch „Psychologie der Rechtsradikalisierung“ nach, das soeben erschienen ist.

[Translate to Englisch:] Eva Walther und Tobias Rothmund
[Translate to Englisch:] Prof. Dr. Eva Walther (Universität Trier) und Prof. Dr. Tobias Rothmund (Universität Jena) betrachten als Herausgeber des neuen Buches psychologische Ursachen für das Erstarken von rechtsradikalen Gedanken und Verhaltensweisen.

Together with a large number of academic experts, they analyse the dynamics of individual radicalisation as an interplay of motivational, ideological and behavioural factors. According to the authors, the fact that populist and right-wing extremist positions are increasingly gaining a hearing is due, among other things, to growing economic inequality, scarcity of resources and overlapping international crises, which many people perceive as a threat.

Simple solutions only seem to offer relief

"Right-wing extremist ideologies offer simple solutions to such experiences of loss and disadvantage," says Tobias Rothmund. The professor of communication and media psychology refers to the frequently emphasised idea that "everything was better in the past" and that a return to traditional lifestyles would make the problems disappear again. "Such interpretations relieve the individual by attributing responsibility to others, for example politicians or migrants, while at the same time strengthening their own self-efficacy. We can therefore speak of a kind of self-empowerment movement," Rothmund continues.

However, not all people are equally susceptible to radicalisation processes. The authors also address the personality differences that play a role in this. "People with authoritarian personalities are particularly susceptible to feelings of threat and tend to develop right-wing political attitudes," says Eva Walther, giving an insight into her own research. "At the same time, these individuals are particularly hostile towards people who question their norms and values."

Prevention approaches and their effectiveness

Possible prevention approaches and their effectiveness are also discussed in the newly published volume: It is crucial that the needs and sensitivities of people who turn to anti-democratic ideologies are taken into account. At the same time, the normative limits of the Basic Law must be defended and violations punished in order to counteract the creeping normalisation of anti-democratic ideology.

Forschung |

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