Psychology Chapter 6 Homework 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

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?