Psychological Mechanisms of Youth Involvement in Extremist and Terrorist Organizations (Using the Example of Social Networks)

The work describes the signs of recruitment and the psychological mechanisms of youth involvement in extremist and terrorist organizations in the Internet. A structural analysis of materials containing communication aimed at involving youth in extremist or terrorist organizations and/or communities with extremist goals. The object of the study are cases received for a comprehensive psychological and linguistic study at the Moscow State Budgetary Institution “Moscow Research Center”. The purpose of the work was to describe the signs of recruitment and the basic psychological mechanisms of youth involvement in extremist and terrorist organizations in the Internet. The basis for the methodological substantiation of the identified psychological mechanisms of involvement were the ideas of A. A. Leontiev on the concept of communication; scientific ideas of G. M. Andreeva about social communication. Using the intent analysis method, the psychological mechanisms of youth involvement in the Internet were identified, which are based on the impact on the motivational-need and value spheres of the individual. The described mechanisms allow us todeepen our understanding of the involvement of young people in extremist and terrorist communities.

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