YOU know that grandmother you have that seems to just be racist for no reason? Well, a new study out of Germany has revealed it's most likely because she feels left out.
The new research suggests that a narrow-mindset or racism can be triggered when someone feels ostracised or excluded.
The report reads that feeling excluded from a desirable social group threatens a person's "sense of personal control". This then leaves the person to reassert their control by putting down or making derogatory comments towards that group or minority.
The research was conducted around 50 students who were asked a series of questions about their approval on building a mosque, with 75% of those who felt excluded consistently opposing the idea.
"When threatened by uncertainty, people identify more strongly with extremist or ethnocentric groups," the researchers write. "Engaging in radicalism may reduce feelings of uncertainty by restoring a sense of predictability and controllability in one's social world."