Adolescent Extremism: The Role of Cognitive Rigidity and the Quest for Significance

There is extant support for both the "rigidity of the extremes" hypothesis and the Significance Quest Theory in explaining extremism. While the former associates rigid thinking patterns with extremism, the latter focuses on the role of a quest for significance in explaining extreme political behavior. Despite repeated calls for integrative approaches, these two research lines have never been combined. Furthermore, the existing literature has not been sensitive in distinguishing whether cognitive flexibility (CF) and the quest for significance (QFS) have divergent effects on different aspects of extremism (e.g., ideological, attitudinal, behavioral). Finally, adolescence has been frequently identified as a developmentally sensitive period for radicalization, but age effects within this age group remain largely understudied. This study aims to address these gaps by pursuing three goals. First, we innovatively explore the intersection of the "rigidity of the extremes" hypothesis and the Significance Quest Theory by examining the predictive value of an interaction between CF and a QFS. Second, we apply multiple measures of extremism to distinguish between ideological, attitudinal and behavioral aspects. Finally, we investigate the predictive value of age on extremist outcomes. Applying data from 957 Polish adolescents (aged 16-21), we calculated a latent moderation structural equation model to examine the effects of QFS, CF, and their interaction on three levels of extremism. Comparative fit testing indicated a significant improvement in fit when interaction terms were included. Importantly, the interaction between CF and QFS was associated with all aspects of extremism. Age differences were investigated via Bayesian regression analysis. There was no evidence for an association between age and extremist outcomes. Our findings meaningfully integrate two research strands and underscore the importance of integrative approaches.