The 4 psychological markers of ideological extremism
Briefly

Psychology examines the relationships between correlations and causation, emphasizing that although correlation does not equal causation, it can imply causative connections. Research has shown that individuals with irregular sleep patterns perform poorly on cognitive tasks, suggesting a link between sleep quality and mental performance. Leor Zmigrod's book, The Ideological Brain, identifies four factors that correlate with extremist beliefs. Cognitive rigidity, characterized by binary thinking and difficulty adapting to change, is a key factor influencing the emergence of extreme ideologies.
Cognitive rigidity is the tendency to see the world in a really binary way. It's where you really struggle to adapt to change, and you tend to think along one mental track rather than switching between different modes of thinking.
The specter of correlation/causation hovered over this week's Mini Philosophy interview with the prizewinning author Leor Zmigrod about her recent book, The Ideological Brain.
Read at Big Think
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