The potential role of psychological time in the study of violent radicalisation, deradicalisation, and disengagement

Knowing the pathways that lead individuals to become terrorists and to leave terrorism behind is fundamental to combat violent extremism. However, although the processes related to psychological time are likely critical to understand violent extremism, they have mostly been neglected within the field. This narrative review proposes a conceptual framework of the potential role of psychological time in the study of violent radicalisation, deradicalisation, and disengagement that: (1) highlights the importance of locating violent extremism within a temporal landscape that integrates people’s views about the past, present, and future; (2) discusses the contribution of key processes associated to the construction of personal and collective narrative identity, personal and collective continuity, temporal distance, thoughts about alternative possibilities, and time perspective; (3) relates these processes to specific insights provided by psychosocial models of violent radicalisation, deradicalisation, and disengagement widely recognised within the field of terrorism; and (4) indicates future research opportunities.