Propensity to Extremism in the Context of Socio-Psychological Maladjustment

Abstract

The study is devoted to the definition of individual psychological characteristics of propensity to extremism in the context of socio-psychological maladaptation. The attractiveness of the Columbine subculture and extremist movements is associated with the socio-psychological maladaptation of the individual. This actualizes the task of early identification of a risk group for the provision of psychological assistance in order to prevent the radicalization of the individual. Research hypothesis: students with a tendency to extremism have individual psychological characteristics of the personality, indicating the specifics of their socio-psychological maladaptation. We studied 578 students of 1–6 courses of study at universities in Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, the Republic of Dagestan and Moscow. The following methods were used: Propensity of extremism detection screening method; R. Cattell’s The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF), form A; Temperament Feature Accentuation Test (TFAT); The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS); A. Ellis' technique for diagnosing irrational attitudes and projective technique “12 archetypes plus” (12A+) by R.V. Kadyrov, T.V. Kapustina. It was found that the specificity of the socio-psychological maladjustment of students prone to extremism is determined by the following individual psychological characteristics: underestimation of one's own capabilities, painful sensitivity to criticism, isolation, alienation, a tendency to subject others to strict evaluation, denying them trust, a low threshold of emotional stability, emotional lability, suspicion and irritability, the desire to act in their own interests, neglecting social norms, rules and standards, as well as a combination of conceit and self-criticism, a combination of low tolerance for frustrating situations with an exaggeration of one's stress resistance. These students show signs of depression: depression, anxiety, a tendency to self-flagellation, immersion in gloomy experiences.