Toward integration: a cognitive-motivational perspective on extremism

While the ‘rigidity-of-the-extreme’ research line focuses on deficits in cognitive flexibility (CF), the Significance Quest Theory highlights the motivational quest for significance (QFS) as a central driver of radicalization. Despite calls for integration, these research lines have not been combined, nor have their effects been disentangled across different dimensions of extremism. This preregistered study examines whether an interaction between CF and QFS is associated with ideological (Nationalism), attitudinal (Willingness to Fight for the National Group), and behavioral (Political Violence) extremism. Data were analyzed from 957 Polish adolescents, an age group vulnerable to radicalization. Latent moderated structural equation modeling was employed to test the interaction of CF and QFS. Results showed that the interaction was associated with ideological and behavioral extremism and approached significance for attitudinal extremism. QFS was positively associated with ideological and attitudinal extremism at low CF but with behavioral extremism only at high CF, indicating distinct effects across extremism dimensions. This study expands the empirical body on Significance Quest Theory by demonstrating that CF moderates the relationship between QFS and extremist outcomes and illustrates how their interplay shapes different dimensions of extremism.