Cognitive opening explained

A cognitive opening is a concept in social movement theory defined as a moment in which a catalytic event, sometimes a personal crisis or socioeconomic pressure, makes a person receptive to new ways of thinking because life changes challenge previously accepted beliefs, prompting a re-assessment of world views.^{[1] [2]}

It is described as a potential stage towards radicalization.^{[3] [4]} The catalytic event can be personal, such as a death in the family or a crime,^[5] or broader, such as being confronted by discrimination, socioeconomic crisis, or political repression directly as an individual or as a member of a group.^[6]

The origin of the concept is credited to Quintan Wiktorowicz's 2005 book, .^[7]

Notes and References

1. Trip . Simona . Bora . Carmen Hortensia . Marian . Mihai . Halmajan . Angelica . Drugas . Marius Ioan . Psychological Mechanisms Involved in Radicalization and Extremism. A Rational Emotive Behavioral Conceptualization . Frontiers in Psychology . 6 March 2019 . 10 . 437 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00437 . 30894828 . 6414414 . free .
2. McCauley . Clark . Moskalenko . Sophia . Understanding political radicalization: The two-pyramids model. . American Psychologist . April 2017 . 72 . 3 . 205–216 . 10.1037/amp0000062 . 28383974 . free .
3. News: Bergen . Peter . Opinion Why Do Terrorists Commit Terrorism? . The New York Times . 14 June 2016.
4. Trip . Simona . Bora . Carmen Hortensia . Marian . Mihai . Halmajan . Angelica . Drugas . Marius Ioan . Psychological Mechanisms Involved in Radicalization and Extremism. A Rational Emotive Behavioral Conceptualization . Frontiers in Psychology . 6 March 2019 . 10 . 437 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00437 . 30894828 . 6414414 . free .
5. News: Bergen . Peter . Opinion Why Do Terrorists Commit Terrorism? . The New York Times . 14 June 2016.
6. News: Muro . Diego . What does Radicalisation Look Like? Four Visualisations of Socialisation into Violent Extremism . 29 February 2020 . CIDOB: Notes Internacionals . December 2016.
7. Trip . Simona . Bora . Carmen Hortensia . Marian . Mihai . Halmajan . Angelica . Drugas . Marius Ioan . Psychological Mechanisms Involved in Radicalization and Extremism. A Rational Emotive Behavioral Conceptualization . Frontiers in Psychology . 6 March 2019 . 10 . 437 . 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00437 . 30894828 . 6414414 . free .