Researchers have mapped an underlying "psychological signature" for people who are predisposed to holding extremist views.
A new study revealed that a particular mix of personality traits and unconscious cognition, the way our brains absorb basic information, is a strong predictor for extremist views across a range of beliefs.
These characteristics include poorer memory and slower "perceptual strategies" – the processing of changing stimuli, such as shape and colour – and tendencies towards impulsivity and thrill-seeking.
This combination of cognitive and emotional attributes predicts the endorsement of violence in support of a person's ideological "group", findings published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B show.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge say the research could help identify and support people most vulnerable to radicalisation across the political and religious spectrum.
Approaches to radicalisation policy have focused mainly on demographic information such as age, race and gender.
Now, by adding cognitive and personality assessments, psychologists say they have created a statistical model that is between four and 15 times more powerful at predicting ideological views than demographics alone.
"I'm interested in the role that hidden cognitive functions play in sculpting ideological thinking," said Dr Leor Zmigrod, lead author from Cambridge's psychology department.
"Many people will know those in their communities who have become radicalised or adopted increasingly extreme political views, whether on the left or right.
"We want to know why particular individuals are more susceptible.
"By examining 'hot' emotional cognition alongside the 'cold' unconscious cognition of basic information processing, we can see a psychological signature for those at risk of engaging with an ideology in an extreme way.
"Subtle difficulties with complex mental processing may subconsciously push people towards extreme doctrines that provide clearer, more defined explanations of the world, making them susceptible to toxic forms of dogmatic and authoritarian ideologies."
The study also mapped the psychological signatures that underpin strong political conservatism.
Researchers found that conservatism is linked to a cautious approach to decision-making, compared to the faster, more imprecise "perceptual strategies" found in minds that are more liberal.
People who are more dogmatic by nature are slower to process perceptual evidence but tend to have more impulsive personalities, the researchers found.
The mental signature for extremism across the board is a blend of conservative and dogmatic psychology, the study revealed.
It includes cognitively caution, slowness at perceptual processing, weaker working memory and impulsive personality traits drawn to sensation and risk.
"There appear to be hidden similarities in the minds of those most willing to take extreme measures to support their ideological doctrines,” Dr Zmigrod said.
“Understanding this could help us to support those individuals vulnerable to extremism and foster social understanding across ideological divides."
The research built on work from Stanford University in which hundreds of participants from the US performed 37 cognitive tasks and took 22 personality surveys in 2016 and 2017.
Dr Zmigrod’s team conducted follow-up tests in 2018 on 334 of the original participants, using another 16 surveys to determine attitudes and strength of feeling towards various ideologies.
The research is published as part of a special issue of the journal dedicated to "the political brain", compiled and co-edited by Dr Zmigrod.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Company%20profile
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T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results
UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets
Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey
7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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