Mapping and Mitigating Misogynist Incel Beliefs: Psychological Foundations and Intervention Strategies

The rise of misogynist incel (involuntary celibate) beliefs presents growing concerns for public safety and gender equality. Across four studies, the psychological underpinnings of these beliefs were explored alongside tests of scalable interventions. In Study 1 ( N  = 392), the latent structure of misogynist incel beliefs was uncovered in a UK male sample, revealing clusters around misogyny, conspiracy beliefs about feminism, status threat, competitive victimhood, and gender-based collective narcissism. Study 2 ( N  = 1,003) replicated and extended these findings in a nationally representative US sample, highlighting links between misogynist incel beliefs, conspiracist worldviews, and rejection of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. In Study 3 ( N  = 292), a meme-based intervention aimed at countering these beliefs showed no significant reductions and revealed potential risks of backlash effects. Study 4 ( N  = 1,699) developed and tested a psychological inoculation (“prebunking”) infographic targeting conspiracy theories about feminism. The intervention significantly improved participants’ abilities to distinguish manipulative misogynist conspiracy content from non-manipulative content, although effects were attenuated among more religious and politically conservative individuals. Together, these findings map the ideological profile of misogynist incel beliefs, demonstrate the risks of poorly designed counter-messaging, and support psychological inoculation as a promising tool for building resistance to misogynist conspiracy theories. The results underscore the importance of evidence-based, targeted interventions in addressing online misogyny and curbing the spread of extremist ideologies.