Terrorism

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According to this literature review, Terrorists are not necessarily pathological. As well, attempting to find individual markers of terrorists is made difficult due to the wide variety of backgrounds and personalities that become involved. As such, Social Psychology is uniquely positioned to bring insight into the social factors that are likely to lead to increases in Terrorism.

What leads to Terrorism?

It is hoped that this section can serve as a place where interested people can add relevant citations to research that bears on Terrorism and it's causes, eventually leading to an integrated model that can be used to predict terrorism based on certain situational factors.

• Groupthink - Terrorist groups often exemplify many of the characteristics of groupthink and so factors which increase or facilitate groupthink (ie. isolated groups) will likely facilitate terrorism. The existence of isolated groups is therefore a risk factore.
• Lack of Alternatives for Political Self Efficacy - Groups that have alternative means to acheiving their political ends do not engage in Terrorism. If one is powerful enough to effect regime change by voting or the use of one's army, one need not engage in terrorism.
• Identification with Powerless Groups - If one is not strongly identified with a group that lacks political self-efficacy, one is unlikely to care enough to become a terrorist.
• Lack of Alternative Lifestyles - One survey of Terrorists ( http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Soc_Psych_of_Terrorism.pdf) noted that 80% of terrorists are married and 80% of terrorists are male. Terrorists are also getting younger and younger. Terrorists in developing countries tend to come from poorer classes. Clearly, the presence of large amounts of young, single, males with few employment prospects increases the likelihood of terrorism.
• Acceptance of Violence - People who have been chronically exposed to violence come to believe that violence is an appropriate way to express political distress.
• Appraisals of Collective Responsibility - Terrorists require a target group that they can use to justify their actions via appraisals collective responsibility.

A Quantitative Model

This is pure theory, but drawing upon research that has been done, one could posit an equation like...

Number of Terrorists in a Country = Population of County * % Single Male * % who have few attractive lifestyle alternatives * % who accept violence * % that lack perceived political efficacy * % who encounter radical isolated groups * % who identify with these groups

Note that this is currently a very speculative model and if you have something to add/consider, feel free to do so.

How can we reduce terrorism?

Thinking of terrorism in a more integrative way allows us to think of new methods for combatting terrorism. Current policy seems to focus on military action against terrorist groups. In addition to directly reducing the terrorist population, this will hopefully reduce the percent that encounter these isolated groups. However, one can see that it is also possible that military action will increase the acceptance of violence. It may harm the economy of the country involved, such that it increases the % of people who have few attractive lifestyle alternatives to terrorism. Lastly, military action which creates collateral damage is very likely to increase the % of people who identify with these isolated groups.

This is not to say that military action does not have a place, but rather that one should think of the entire equation when addressing terrorism and be aware of the risks as well as the rewards of one's actions.

Actions which seem more likely to reduce factors that lead to terrorism without affecting other factors might include increasing the percieved political efficacy of the population or increasing the amount of attractive lifestyle options for young males. The key is to do this without appearing to reward groups which advocate violence, lest one increase the percentage of the population that identifies with these groups.