AI Flashcards Lecture 7
What are the two key processes underlying radicalisation?
Attitude polarisation (attitudes become more extreme) and attitude convergence (attitudes become more similar)
What are informational processes in radicalisation?
They involve the informational content of arguments, the frequency of exposure to an argument (and associated familiarity), and the cognitive effort in understanding arguments
How do groups influence radicalisation through informational processes?
Groups provide more arguments, which makes them more persuasive, and extreme arguments are remembered better
What is normative influence in radicalisation?
It refers to people tailoring their attitudes to what (they think) the group expects from them
What is the role of social influence in radicalisation?
It involves individuals like leaders who can influence others to discuss their beliefs and grievances
What is the link between radicalisation and violence?
Radicalisation doesn’t necessarily lead to violence; it applies to all beliefs, and the link with violence is a consequence, not an inherent feature
What did Bartlett & Miller (2012) find about radicalisation and violence?
They differentiated between radicals (radicalised but non-violent) and terrorists (radicalised in a violent way). They found that watching videos or listening to songs in a group may be a key difference between those who want to respond violently and those who do not
What is the definition of dehumanisation?
Perceiving a person or group as lacking humanness
What are the two dimensions of dehumanisation according to Haslam’s Dual Model?
Human Uniqueness (Human vs Animal) and Human Nature (Human vs Object)
What are three mechanisms of dehumanisation?
Criteria for humanness (Infrahumanisation; Dual model), Relational (Stereotype content model), and Mind perception
What is the critique of dehumanisation in relation to collective violence?
Dehumanisation’s explanatory value is in doubt, its definition is vague, it doesn’t account for the ascription of negative traits while denying positive ones, and its empirical link to violence is not strong
What did Rai et al. (2017) find about dehumanisation and violence?
They found that dehumanisation can justify instrumental violence (e.g., harming sweatshop workers for profit) but plays no role in moral violence (e.g., harming enemy soldiers)
