The Resilience of Radicalism. Overcoming Psychological Defences in Deradicalisation Work

Why do some extremists deradi­calise when con­fronted with counter-narratives or positive inter­group contact, while others entrench even deeper into their beliefs? While the external factors that pull people away from radical milieus are well docu­mented, the internal psycho­logical defences used to resist doubt are fre­quently over­looked. Drawing on interviews with former extremists, this Spot­light describes the un­conscious defence strategies that allow radicalised indi­viduals to reduce cognitive dis­sonance and sustain their extremist attitudes.