The interest in evil: Hierarchic self-interest and right-wing extremism among East and West German youth

Right-wing extremist attitudes can seem rational when they are viewed from the near-term, group-linked interests of individuals in their own well-bein g, ascendency, or domination. We test an elaboration of a rational choice t heory of right-wing extremism that focuses on hierarchic and self-intereste d imperatives in market-driven societies. Our elaboration of this theory id entifies a theoretical and empirical unification of four social psychologic al dimensions-involving competitive processes of social comparison, individ ualism, materialist preoccupations with success, and the acceptance of soci al inequality. These dimensions coalesce into a higher older, latent subter ranean construct we call hierarchic self-interest. This latent construct is strongly related to right-wing extremism among samples of East and West Ge r;nan youth. Male adolescents experiencing the rapid transition to a market economy in an economically and socially depressed East Germany may be espe cially susceptible to extremist appeals to hierarchic self-interests. Male and East German youth express stronger hierarchic self-interests than femal e and West German youth, and these differences mediate the greater tendenci es of male and East German youth to express hostility toward immigrants and foreigners, who are often a step below and in competition with them on the socioeconomic ladder of success. Hierarchic self-interest is a persistent and dangerous source of support for right-wing extremism. (C) 1999 Academic Press.