A new study has shed light on the psychological mechanisms that sustain the online incel community, revealing a complex emotional landscape that fuels group solidarity despite its overwhelmingly negative outlook. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg analysed online interactions within incel forums, challenging existing theories of social movements by showing how members bond through shared despair rather than positive reinforcement. The findings were published in the journal Acta Sociologica.
Unlike traditional social movements that unite people around common goals and aspirations, the incel community operates on a foundation of resentment and exclusion. The study found that members engage in what researchers call “dark emotional energy,” where negative emotions such as anger, self-pity, and nihilism serve as the glue that holds the group together. Rather than seeking societal change or self-improvement, incels immerse themselves in a culture of victimhood, reinforcing their collective identity through cycles of self-loathing and hostility toward perceived outsiders.
The study highlights the role of internal rituals in strengthening these beliefs. Newcomers to incel forums are subjected to an initiation process that tests their ideological alignment, ensuring that only those who fully embrace the group’s worldview are accepted. Members are expected to use coded language, memes, and expressions of extreme negativity to demonstrate their authenticity. These discursive symbols become markers of belonging, further entrenching members in the group’s ideology.
A key finding of the research is the way incel forums invert traditional theories of social interaction. Sociologist Randall Collins’ Interaction Ritual Chain framework suggests that successful social interactions typically generate positive emotional energy, encouraging continued participation. But in the case of incels, researchers found that negative emotions play an equally powerful role in reinforcing engagement. Instead of feeling empowered or uplifted, members return to the community to reaffirm their collective grievances, finding comfort in shared hopelessness.
One particularly troubling aspect of the study is the way discussions within these forums normalise extreme rhetoric. Conversations often centre on themes of isolation, perceived injustice, and hostility towards women, with members reinforcing each other’s beliefs through repeated exposure to the same narratives. This self-reinforcing loop creates an environment where radicalisation can flourish as individuals become increasingly disconnected from alternative perspectives.
Despite the deeply pessimistic nature of the incel community, the study suggests that its members do not necessarily view themselves as passive victims. Many adopt a paradoxical stance in which they see themselves as intellectually superior to the society that rejects them, yet powerless to alter their circumstances. This contradiction fuels ongoing participation as members oscillate between feelings of resentment and a grim sense of solidarity.
