This study investigated the relationship between sadism and radicalism, and whether Need for Chaos moderates this relationship. Participants (N = 285) filled out three questionnaires measuring sadism, Need for Chaos, and activism and radicalism. Participants with a high score on sadism showed higher radicalism than those with low sadism scores. Those who scored highly on Need for Chaos did not show a stronger relationship between sadism and radicalism than those low scores on Need for Chaos. 

An exploratory analysis was also conducted (N = 284), which investigated whether a relationship exists between Need for Chaos and radicalism, and whether sadism and Need for Chaos are each associated with activism. Results showed that increased scores on Need for Chaos are also associated with increased radicalism, while high scores on sadism and Need for Chaos were both not related to high activism scores. The results indicate the importance of individual risk factors for radicalization, which can inform prevention and remedial strategies. Future research can continue the search for differential predictors of radicalization, and can elucidate the mechanism behind the found associations.