Abstract
•Extremism presents a growing threat in the modern world.•The effects of family functioning and psychological well-being on extremism were investigated.•Family functioning is negatively related to extremism.•Psychological well-being is a negative predictor of extremism.•The association between family functioning and extremism is fully mediated by psychological well-being.
The family environment plays an important role in radicalization and the development of extremism in individuals. However, this relationship has been insufficiently explored in the psychological literature. The aim of this study was to determine how and why the central dimensions of family functioning, specifically adaptability and cohesion, influence extremist beliefs and attitudes in young adults. The sample comprised 286 Saudi university students. Several measures were used to assess participants’ perceived family adaptability and cohesion, psychological well-being, and level of extremism. The latter was measured via an instrument developed by the authors. The results of factor and correlation analyses of the adaptability and cohesion subscales (r = 0.88, p < .01) suggested a unidimensional role of the family functioning variable, rather than two separate variables. A new factor of family coordination also emerged. The results indicated that family functioning was negatively related to extremism (r = -0.14, p < .01). Participants who reported more balanced family functioning had lesser extremist beliefs. Moreover, a positive correlation between family functioning and psychological well-being (r = 0.25, p < .01) was found. The relationship between family functioning and extremism was fully mediated by psychological well-being, suggesting an indirect effect of family functioning on extremism (β = -0.094, p < .01). This study provides a framework for understanding extremism and radicalization antecedents. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications for understanding and preventing extremism through family-based interventions.