Why the ‘salad bar’ might actually help extremism research – A reply to Horgan and Shayler
Abstract
This paper responds to Horgan and Shayler's (2026) critique of the "salad bar extremism" metaphor and associated concepts. While sympathetic to the authors' main concerns (epistemological confusion, ontological indeterminacy, and empirical scarcity), this reply contends that each is overstated. While composite extremist worldviews have always existed and traditional radical ideologies remain dominant, we nonetheless argue that hybrid extremism is a genuinely intensifying phenomenon captured by gradually more accurate concepts, rooted in deep societal shifts, and produced by well-documented causal mechanisms.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Terrorism
Counterterrorism
and Political Violence
Islamic Studies and History
Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Publication details
- Journal / source
- advances in/psychology
- Publisher
- Advances.in Ltd.
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e359159–e359159
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN