ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the general phenomenon of extremism as such, and considers in depth the special case of Violent extremism (VE). Social movement theory describes VE in terms of an unfolding processes of escalating policing, competitive escalation, and militancy. The opposite journey, back to moderation, is prompted by the same general factors that produced the shift to the extreme in the first place. Just as the motivational imbalance underlies a fringe-bound shift, restored motivational balance underlies abandonment of the fringe and a reversion to the mainstream. In psychological models of motivation, expectancy combines with value to determine the readiness to initiate goal-driven behavior. To become an extremist, something must transpire along the way to trigger the motivational imbalance that induces deviance. The motivational shift toward the quest for significance entails the relative suppression of alternative, common concerns. This liberates individuals to use whatever means they perceive as effective to satisfying their dominant need, regardless of how extreme these might be.
