Date of Conferral

7-9-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Eric Hickey

Abstract

Research examining individuals who self-identify as involuntary celibates (incels) has increased in response to concerns surrounding online grievance communities and violence-related rhetoric. Despite growing scholarship, limited research has examined the psychosocial lived experiences of individuals who identify as incels. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore these experiences and examine factors associated with violent or extremist beliefs within incel-related online communities. Guided by social comparison theory and social identity theory, reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine 90 publicly available forum posts collected from 4Chan, Incel.is, and Looksmaxx. The data were manually coded and analyzed through iterative thematic analysis procedures. Six major themes were identified: appearance determinism and genetic fatalism; masculinity, sexual failure, and humiliation; isolation, loneliness, and emotional distress; misogyny, distrust, and gender resentment; community identity and reinforcement; and violence, rage, and extremism. Participants frequently described loneliness, shame, rejection, social comparison, and perceived social exclusion while engaging in grievance-based narratives and collective identity formation. Although some discussions reflected hostility and violence-related rhetoric, others reflected emotional vulnerability, desires for connection, self-improvement, and rejection of extremist viewpoints. This study contributes to the limited qualitative literature examining incel-related online communities and informs future research and practice. The potential for positive social change includes promoting a more informed understanding of individuals who identify as incels and informing efforts to address social isolation, emotional distress, and psychosocial vulnerability.

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