This paper seeks to examine the mechanisms of the 3 N model (need, narrative, and network) by testing a serial mediation model of group identity and ideology. We propose two rival hypotheses: need for significance predicts violent extremism, and its relationship is serially mediated by (1) group identity and ideology (Model 1); (2) ideology and group identity (Model 2). To test the hypotheses, we conducted a survey of 137 terrorism detainees from prisons across Indonesia. The results revealed that Model 1 had a better fit than Model 2, suggesting the important role of group processes in developing violent extremism’s ideology. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.