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Radicalization pathways and mechanisms

Psychological, social, and technological factors that lead individuals to adopt extremist ideologies or engage in extremist activity. Includes both online radicalization (exposure via platforms, algorithms, social networks) and offline factors (economic distress, social isolation, offline communities).

Key papers

  • Hosseinmardi et al. (2021) — large-scale empirical study of 309K YouTube users over 4 years finds no systematic evidence that YouTube's recommendation algorithm drives radicalization; far-right content consumption is small and stable, while growth in "anti-woke" content reflects user preferences extending across the web; consumption patterns align with off-platform behavior, not algorithmic steering.
  • Munger & Phillips (2022) — reframes radicalization debate as supply-and-demand problem: YouTube's monetization and algorithmic affordances create incentives for extremist content production, while audience appetite (driven by ideology, identity, economic anxiety) drives consumption. Does not claim algorithmic amplification alone causes radicalization.
  • Bail et al. (2018) — field experiment showing exposure to opposing views increases polarization; suggests echo chambers may protect moderate audiences but radicalize those already ideologically extreme.