Challenging the individual adversity paradigm: a shift toward a collective experiences model of worldviews and ideologies

For decades, scholars have hypothesized that individual adverse experiences predict adoption of specific worldviews and ideologies. However, recent evidence shows that individual adverse experiences are not consistently linked to any particular worldview or ideology. To address this conundrum, we argue that these inconsistencies stem from applying clinical rationale to social phenomena. Notably, foundational social psychological theories, influenced by psychoanalytic ideas about symptom formation, assumed that adverse experiences shape specific ideologies—a perspective that continues to shape contemporary models. We highlight this influence from early theories to the present, offering a novel perspective on the existing literature, and propose a shift in focus from individual experiences to collective events. Drawing on attitude formation research, we present a new framework that emphasizes the role of media effects, collective disruptions, group dynamics, and cohort effects in shaping worldviews and ideologies. This framework resolves paradoxes in current theories, indicating promising venues for future research.