This article by Patricia Y. Sanchez is published by PsyPost. Here is an excerpt:

Moral convergence, which refers to sharing the same moral principles with a group, is likely to occur in online settings where communities are formed based on these principles. New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that across 5 studies moral convergence is associated with increased likelihood of radicalism.

“Moral emotions such as anger, disgust, and hatred toward the outgroup are typically influential in ‘us vs. them’ contexts, creating vehement tribal bonds with one’s ingroup and extreme hostility toward out- group members who may be dehumanized and seen as deserving harm and persecution,” wrote study author Mohammad Atari and colleagues.

“Once an issue becomes moralized, people are more likely to act upon it to ensure their group prevails by nearly any means necessary, including persuasion, lying, cheating, protesting, or—in extreme cases—violence.”

Read the full article here.