Testing the link between conspiracy theories and violent extremism: a linguistic coding approach to far-right shooter manifestos
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11230%2F25%3A10509239" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11230/25:10509239 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=5m_yiBZ-17" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=5m_yiBZ-17</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19434472.2023.2258952" target="_blank" >10.1080/19434472.2023.2258952</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Testing the link between conspiracy theories and violent extremism: a linguistic coding approach to far-right shooter manifestos
Original language description
Conspiracy theories have been linked to violent extremist attacks, creating a view that holding one may be a motivating factor for engaging in violence. The perpetrators of the 2019 Christchurch, Poway, and El Paso shootings each cited the 'Great Replacement' white genocide conspiracy theory in manifestos distributed online prior to the attacks. This research conducts a close reading of these manifestos and the original conspiracy theory to test the link between holding a conspiracy theory and engaging in outgroup-oriented violence. It compares Renaud Camus' Great Replacement text (You Will Not Replace Us) and the manifestos of the three violent extremists that cite this theory (The Great Replacement, The Inconvenient Truth, An Open Letter). Three theoretical frameworks provide the basis for the analysis: (1) The presence of conspiracy theory elements (agency, coalition, threat, secrecy), (2) radical narrative constructs (crisis, solution, justification), and (3) mobilising emotions (anger, contempt, disgust - ANCODI). All four sources contained the elements of a conspiracy theory, crisis narratives, and mobilising ANCODI emotions as the dominant emotions. This suggests that the original conspiracy theory may have influenced the perpetrators. This research furthers academic debate, both conceptually and empirically, about the nature of connectivity between conspiracy theories and violent extremism.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50601 - Political science
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression
ISSN
1943-4472
e-ISSN
1943-4480
Volume of the periodical
17
Issue of the periodical within the volume
4
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
20
Pages from-to
396-415
UT code for WoS article
001077370100001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85173778537