Entitativity as a moderator? A brief report unraveling the relations between deprivation, fundamentalism, and radicalization

Demmrich, Sarah; Şenel, Abdulkerim

Forschungsartikel (Zeitschrift) | Peer reviewed

Zusammenfassung

The reactivity hypothesis posits that individuals who perceive deprivation, often in the form of discrimination, may be more inclined to adopt a fundamentalist worldview and may even become more susceptible to radicalization as a reaction to these feelings of deprivation. The Uncertainty-Identity Theory posits entitativity as a moderator between deprivation and fundamentalism and radicalization, respectively. In a questionnaire study conducted on a gender-representative sample of students specializing in Islamic theology and religious education in Germany (N = 252) we found only marginal support for both hypotheses. While individual as well as collective forms of deprivation showed only a weak link to fundamentalism and no link to radicalization, entitativity demonstrated strong direct effects on fundamentalism and smaller but significant effects on radicalization. Additionally, participants who perceived deprivation against their own Muslim identity or religious practices are more likely to endorse violence against non-Muslims (‘infidels’) and as a mean to spread Islam throughout the world, but only when they perceive Muslims as moderate or highly entitative. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for further research, university education, and counter-radicalization programs, particularly in light of the marginal effects of deprivation and the moderate to strong effects of ingroup entitativity.

Details zur Publikation

FachzeitschriftCurrent Psychology
Jahrgang / Bandnr. / Volume44
Ausgabe / Heftnr. / Issue1
StatusVeröffentlicht
Veröffentlichungsjahr2025 (18.03.2025)
Sprache, in der die Publikation verfasst istEnglisch
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07674-6
Link zum Volltexthttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-07674-6
StichwörterDeprivation; Fundamentalism; Radicalization; Entitativity; Muslims; Migration context

Autor*innen der Universität Münster

Demmrich (verh. Kaboğan), Sarah
Professur für Religionssoziologie (Prof. Pollack)
Exzellenzcluster 2060 - Religion und Politik. Dynamiken von Tradition und Innovation
Institut für Soziologie (IfS)
Şenel, Abdulkerim
Zentrum für Islamische Theologie (ZIT)