Attachment, networks and discourse in extremist political organizations: A comparative case study

Structural, emotional and cognitive mechanisms are explored through which people become tightly bonded to extremist political organizations. The study compares a totalist, closed group, the Newman Tendency, with a democratic, open group, the Green Party. Features of totalism---found in the Newman Tendency, but not in the Green Party---include: a charismatic authoritarian leader; a hierarchical, closed network structure; a total ideology; and the creation of a disorganized attachment bond which is associated with cognitive lapses, disorientation, dissociation and confusion.;The theoretical framework links the structural, emotional and cognitive threads by placing attachment theory at the center of the analysis. Network ideas are enriched by examining the affective quality of network ties, and attachment theory is advanced by locating attachment ties in larger structural and ideological contexts. The empirical study uses in-depth interviews of ex-members, archival data and observations of the organizations' events. It shows how the totalist Newman Tendency sets itself up as a safe haven for group members while at the same time structurally, affectively, ideologically and linguistically isolating them from alternate attachment relationships and interpretations of their experience. The Newman Tendency creates conditions of fear arousal resulting in a situation of fright without solution for the isolated follower, thus inducing disorganized attachment to the group. All but one former members of the Newman Tendency demonstrated disorganized attachment to the group, as measured by the new Group Attachment Interview, an instrument based on the Adult Attachment Interview. No formerly active Greens demonstrated such attachment to the Green Party.;Disorganized attachment creates cognitive difficulties for followers in thinking about their relationship to the group, allowing for further insinuation of the group's total ideology and constricting language. This may lead to hyper obedience and deployability of followers. The study found that a key element in allowing most former members of the totalist group to leave was the presence of a mitigating attachment relationship, thus breaking the situation of fright without solution.;Findings advance understanding of the organization, operation and social-psychological mechanisms of ideologically extremist groups or cults. They can contribute to the development of education and prevention efforts.