Envy, Emotional Urgency, and Radicalization: The Impulsive Route is Paved in Malice

Abstract

Impulsivity is recognized as a significant radicalization risk factor, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previous research suggests that impulsive actions are emotionally driven. If so, the recently proposed envy-as-radicalization model may clarify this relationship, providing insights into radicalized individuals’ dramatic cognitive and behavioral transformations. The current study hypothesizes that envy mediates the relationship between impulsivity and radicalization, a connection not previously tested. Data from 649 participants measured dispositional and situational envy, impulsivity (Negative Emotional Urgency, Positive Emotional Urgency, and Lack of Premeditation), and radicalization (Extremist Attitudes, Endorsement of Political Violence). Results indicate that impulsivity and envy positively correlate with Extremist Attitudes and support for Political Violence. Controlling for Negative and Positive Urgency, Lack of Premeditation ceased to predict radicalization. Envy mediated the relationship between Negative Urgency and radicalization. This relationship suggests an impulsive-envious pathway to aggression, where neutralizing perceived social competitors takes precedence over other strategies, such as competition, submission, or avoidance. Positive Urgency followed Dispositional Envy in the model, potentially because positive emotions like schadenfreude reinforce further aggression. The study provides new insights into the roles of impulsivity and envy in radicalization and recommends investigating their relationship with criminality in future research, particularly among high-risk populations.