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CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
► Understand how lone terrorists differ from other classifications of terrorists.
► Be aware of the connection between terrorism and mental illness.
► Know how terrorism may be related to antisocial and narcissistic personalities.
KEY TERMS
Ted Kaczynski Timothy McVeigh
Lee Boyd Malvo Cult
John Allen Muhammad Establishment terrorist
Ecoterrorist Religiously-motivated terrorist
LECTURE NOTES
The Psychology of Terrorism, Cults and Extremism
Classification of Terrorists
The Lone Terrorist
Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber)
Ted Kaczynski began loading packages with explosives in 1978 and leaving them in various
locations. His fourth bomb was placed in a classroom at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
It was with this bomb that an FBI task force was created with the code name “UNABOM”
(Douglas & Olshaker, 1999).
Timothy James McVeigh (the Oklahoma bomber)
On April 19, 1995, a yellow Ryder Rental truck drove quietly and unobtrusively through the
streets of downtown Oklahoma City towards the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. The driver
parked in front of the building, stepped out and walked away. A few minutes later, at 9:02
John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo (the Beltway snipers)
In October, 2002 the pair began a particularly deadly killing spree in the Washington, DC – Maryland –
Virginia metropolitan area that would claim the lives of 14 innocent victims. During their spree they sent
The Revolutionary Terrorist
Revolutionary terrorists seek the complete abolition of a political system and its replacement with new
structures.
The Establishment (or State-sponsored) Terrorist
This type of terrorist is employed by government of by factions of a government and acts against that
government's citizens, against factions within the government, or against foreign governments or groups.
Ecoterrorists
The FBI defines ecoterrorism as “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against
Extremist Groups in the United States
Christian Identity
The Black Panther Party
Tools of Terrorism
Bombings
1. Roadside and hidden bombs
2. Letter bombs sent through the mail
Terrorists also use Kidnappings and Hostage-Takings; Armed Attacks, Assassinations, and Arson;
Hijackings and Skyjackings.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
This includes using nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons to induce destruction and mass
Suicide Attacks
Some groups such as Hamas, have adopted the tactic of suicide bombing, in which the perpetrator
Cyberterrorism
Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is the unlawful attack or threat
of attack against computers, computer networks, or information stored on computers, with the intent
to intimidate or coerce in order to achieve political or social objectives .
Religiously-based International Terrorism
The connection between religion and terrorism is not new. In fact, some of the English words
Psychological Explanations for Terrorism
The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
Under this theory, such behavior is a response to frustrated attempts to meet various political, economic,
Mental Illness
A review of the scientific literature suggests that terrorists are not dysfunctional or pathological; rather,
their actions are basically politically motivated violence (Ruby, 2002). Some theorists such as Post (1990)
point out that terrorists use a form of “psycho-logic” to rationalize their acts of violence.
Personality Disorders
The psychological literature does suggest that although many terrorists may not suffer from classical
Externalization and splitting
A particularly striking personality trait of people who are drawn to terrorism is the reliance placed on the
psychological mechanisms of externalization and splitting. These are primitive psychological
Cognitive Distortions
Certain faulty ways of thinking characterize some terrorists. These include overgeneralization, where the
Religious Cults
Cults are nothing new in the world of extreme religiosity. Examples include The People’s Temple led
Cult-like Group Dynamics in Religiously Motivated Terrorism
Terrorist groups often operate like cults in their use of conditioning techniques, to transform members
Depluralization
This is the process whereby terrorist recruits give up all their former ties and affiliations.
Moral Disengagement
Diffusion of Responsibility
This is the process by which people feel less responsible when, either in the presence of, or on behalf of a
group, they engage in harmful or violent behavior.
Self-deindividuation
Other-deindividuation
This is the process by which group members categorize their worlds into those who are in the same
groups and those who are not in the same groups. All enemies become a homogeneous, faceless mass
that look alike, think alike, and act alike (Zimbardo, 1969).
Dehumanization
Demonization
Obedience
The social psychologist Stanley Milgram sees obedience as one of the most relevant (and potentially
dangerous) determinants of behavior in modern time. Milgram has noted that there are extreme
instances where people will do what they are told to do, irrespective of the content of the act and without
limitations of conscience, as long as they perceive that the command comes from a legitimate authority.
Religiously-based Factors
Shame and Humiliation
The are several studies linking conditions of shame and humiliation with corresponding increases in violence
Sanctifying Violence
Another way in which religion promotes terrorism and genocide is by directly sanctioning
violence and killing and by providing a moral justification for terrorists' actions done in the name
of God.
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism encompasses a set of personality traits strongly associated with (1) aversion to differences
Religiously-motivated Terrorism as Crime
The Psychological Effects of Terrorism
Depression, anxiety, and panic symptoms often accompany a disaster such as a terrorist attack.
A terrorist attack can expose people to death and the presence of dead bodies and human
remains.
Contributions of Forensic Psychologists
Spungen (1998) recommends keeping a daily diary or journal and write down their thoughts and
feelings about the murder and about their deceased loved one. This notebook should be portable
SUMMARY
Terrorism has roots that are psychological, economic, political, religious, and
sociological, and no one area holds a satisfactory explanation for it. Some terrorists act alone
while many others operate as part of a group or network. There are different classifications of
surprising since such people view their act as expressions of martyrdom and as commanded by
their faith.
The actions of murderous terrorists are shaped in part by the cult-like attributes of
terrorist groups and leaders. These include: depluralization; moral disengagement; obedience;
diffusion of responsibility; self-deindividuation; other-deindividuation; dehumanization;
demonization, and unquestioned obedience. Research by Stanley Milgram has illustrated the
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. In what ways does the lone terrorist differ from a terrorist who is part of a network?
2. What were Ted Kaczynski and Timothy McVeigh’s motivations for their respective
actions?
7. What elements of the narcissistic and antisocial personalities seem to be present in many
terrorists?
8. How are the psychological mechanisms of externalization and splitting involved in
terrorism dynamics?
9. What kinds of group dynamics are shared by cults and terror groups?
