Marginalized Individuals and Extremism: The Role of Ostracism in Openness to Extreme Groups

Does the experience of being socially ostracized increase interest in extreme groups? Drawing from the temporal need‐threat model of ostracism, and uncertainty‐identity theory, we conducted two experiments testing the hypothesis that compared to included individuals, ostracized individuals will show greater interest in extreme groups. In Study 1, following a recruitment attempt, ostracized participants expressed greater willingness to attend a meeting of an activist campus organization advocating reducing tuition. In Study 2, ostracized participants expressed greater openness towards gang membership. These findings emphasize the importance of leaders creating environments that minimize feelings of social exclusion, and suggest that approaches to international policy that exclude/marginalize (i.e., refusing to meet for negotiations) may produce greater extremity.