This talk takes up the social psychology of (in)effective persuasion in conflict as a framework to understand trajectories of radicalisation and deradicalisation. I review empirically-supported reasons that (de)radicalising appeals succeed or fail, from an intergroup perspective, and evidence-based principles of successful intervention. Importantly a group-based approach highlights that different sources and approaches will be effective to promote desistance, disengagement, and ideological deradicalisation. I describe one specific model of political action outcomes, which I developed with colleagues, in which we examined the success and failure for ordinary activists of past conventional and radical political actions, and examined the impact upon subsequent intentions, support for democracy, law-breaking, and well-being across contexts (e.g., immigration, gun control, abortion, vegan, marriage equality). The talk closes with a summary of key takeaway messages in applying a social psychological analysis to intergroup persuasion for or against terror, and list of unanswered questions where future research would be useful.
View Professor Winnifred Louis bio here.