International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation Volume 9 2026 78
deepening dependency on the cult as the sole provider
of meaning and security. This process mirrors what
Cialdini (2005) identified as the principle of scarcity in
persuasion: when access to alternatives is constrained,
commitment intensifies.
Scarcity also operates as a cognitive amplifier, narrowing
attentional focus and reducing openness to alternative
viewpoints, which in turn makes radical worldviews
appear inevitable. In such conditions, individuals
increasingly perceive their options in stark, binary
terms—join and survive or resist and perish—which
is a cognitive pattern that cultic groups weaponize
to consolidate loyalty and eliminate dissent. In some
cases, scarcity is deeply interlinked with cult ideology,
creating an environment in which members truly
believe in their safety in the face of such scarcity, for
example: Heaven’s Gate cult members believed only a
small number of members could ascend to the next stage
of religious evolution and continued their devotion to
pass the test (Metraux, 2022). Historically, various cult
leaders have preyed upon doomsday fears: the most
extreme expression of resource scarcity. The siege at
Waco is well known as an example of violent escalation
by both the government and the cult leadership of the
Branch Davidians. This group believed in the oncoming
apocalypse and was stockpiling weapons and engaging
in child abuse (Melton, 2022). Or even in the case of
Charles Manson, who incited his followers to commit
murder, using fears of future identity scarcity in an
oncoming future race war (Whitehead, 2010). Due
to the obedience, adherence, and strong group bonds
experienced in cult group relationships, scarcity can be
utilized to increase group cohesion, strengthen identity
politics, and further escalation towards radicalization
and violence, which has unfortunately become a
precedent for many cult groups.
The Dynamics of Cult Membership, Extremism, and
Scarcity
Radicalization is the process by which a group
unanimously takes on extremist positions. There
exists a pre-established intersection of cult groups and
violent extremism (Albahl, 2020) due to the structural
and social framework of cult groups. Members are
at risk of being radicalized and escalating to violent
behavior to protect cult beliefs and interests. Cults offer
the opportunity for extreme violent beliefs to become
normalized through the process of overvaluation
of such beliefs (Rahman, 2018) and cultivate an
overdependence on the leader (Langone &Eisenberg,
2022). The relationship between the radicalization of
an individual by a group and the radicalization of the
collective by the individual is a complex interplay.
Research indicates (Halperin, 1982) that the actual
act of cult affiliation frequently occurs within a group
setting where isolated individuals aim to achieve the
actualization of a collective fantasy via membership.
Research (Kernberg, 1977) also reflects upon the innate
potential within all groups for cult-like transformation
and on the regressive potential within individuals for
loss of individuality and autonomy. Cults establish
various boundaries through the practice of scarcity.
Research indicates that one of the indicators of proto-
cultic involvement is the use of dietary restrictions to
separate the individual from his or her family members
(Halperin, 1982). Cults can leverage pre-existing
scarcity to recruit and increase group adherence to
norms. Scarcity can be manipulated in various ways,
such as removing competitive mate selection through
‘free love’ offered in multiple cults. As often seen on
many college campuses, cults such as Twelve Tribes
target students (Cawley, 2022 Winslow, 2022) who
struggle with meeting needs, offering them jobs, free
samples, and food. Cults and extremist movements
frequently deploy gendered appeals. Wellness cults and
“tradwife” subcultures target women with promises of
safety, domestic identity, and spiritual purity, while
male-oriented radical groups exploit narratives of
emasculation and scarcity of status or power (Yarrow,
2021). These gendered appeals leverage scarcity to
reinforce in-group cohesion.
A condition of scarcity cannot be discussed with the
accompanying feelings of alienation that individuals
experience in the hyper-capitalism that perpetuates
it, motivating them to seek out community and
belongingness in alternative movements. This alienation
is not helped by the high levels of confirmation bias
that influence the content individuals consume online,
creating fertile environments for radicalization. In its
essence, the cult recruiter’s task is facilitated by the
alienation of the individual, which adds conviction to
the assumption that group membership can solve their

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Zahra Choudhury |Scarcity as Latent Architecture
issues (Halperin, 1982).
Research does not point to a singular identifying
tendency of a group towards violence, but indicates that
external opposition can reinforce tendencies in a group
toward violent reactions (Mayer, 2001). Apocalyptic
thinking creates an atmosphere conducive to the
legitimization of violence (Mayer, 2001), which makes
doomsday cults a greater risk for enacting violence, as
has been historically witnessed by subway sarin-gas
attacks carried out by Aum Shinrikyo (Simons, 2006)
and the violence at Waco (Melton, 2022).
Integrated threat theory (Stephan and Stephan, 2000)
states that in-group members are primed with the
expectation that out-group members will harm them.
When an individual feels deprived as a group member,
they may place higher emphasis on their group
identity and view themselves as more ‘correct.’ This
heightened group identity may lead to a dangerous
cognitive evaluation of superiority, further leading to
violence. Scarcity can perhaps enhance this experience
of deprivation. In such situations, radicalization
and groupthink go hand in hand. The interest of
the group becomes the interest of the individual.
Extremism is transformed into an expression of goal
commitment ideological zeal represents an expression
of commitment to a central goal and, consequently,
extreme behaviors are indirect expressions of this
group radicalization (Klein and Kruglanski, 2013).
In the context of resource scarcity, realistic group
conflict theory states (Jackson, 1993) that competition
for limited resources between groups leads to
increased conflict. These conflicts of interest lead to the
development of in-group norms that create hostility
towards the out-group, backed by punishment and
rejection of those in-group members who deviate
from group norms. This hostility heightens in-group
cohesion and can cause further aggression between
groups (Sherif et al., 1961). Research (Doosje et al.,
2013) also indicates a pathway between radical belief
systems and violence, which starts with feelings of
collective deprivation, continues with symbolic threats,
in-group superiority, and attitudes moving towards
violence. Resource scarcity, therefore, can strengthen
group cohesion and can lead to conflict and further
radicalization, which is a relevant risk to cult groups
due to their exploitative and highly cohesive structures.
Parasocial Relationships as Mediators
Parasocial relationships are one-sided psychological
bonds usually formed with media personalities.
The term was first coined in the 1950s to describe
the “illusion of intimacy” viewers experienced
with characters on-screen. These relationships are
usually non-reciprocal but invoke intense feelings of
connection and belonging (Psychology Today, 2025).
Parasocial relationships represent a crucial pathway
through which scarcity is translated into cult-like
behavior. Under informational scarcity, parasocial
figures function as epistemic authorities, supplying
simplified answers and reinforcing certainty in
otherwise chaotic informational landscapes (Bond,
2022 Giles, 2002). In contexts of affective scarcity,
such as loneliness, these figures fulfill unmet emotional
needs, providing symbolic intimacy that fosters deep
loyalty (Harper &Prawitz, 2022 Tukachinsky et al.,
2020 ).Emotional scarcity—the absence of meaningful
human connection, intimacy, and purpose—may also
mediate the relationship between scarcity and cult-like
behavior. Individuals deprived of emotional support
or community may turn to parasocial relationships
and insular online groups as a form of compensatory
belonging.
Under scarcity, parasociality assumes an adaptive
function it furnishes individuals with a simulated
form of social anchoring in contexts where material or
affective supports are lacking. Recent findings linking
parasocial attachments to conspiracy endorsement
(Enders et al., 2023 Harper &Prawitz, 2022) suggest
that these relational structures may act as gateways to
belief radicalization, particularly when coupled with
informational scarcity and algorithmic reinforcement.
Digital environments may intensify these dynamics.
Through algorithmic exposure and repetitive
engagement, parasocial attachments evolve into
powerful, self-reinforcing psychological dependencies
(Tukachinsky &Stever, 2019). In movements such as
QAnon, anonymous figures like “Q” become avatars of
trust, while influencers act as gateways to increasingly
insular communities, effectively converting parasocial