Psychological Reasons To Infiltrate The Mind Of Terrorists

When you think of the word terrorist what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps an airplane hijacker, a heatless assassin, a suicide bomber, a religious fanatic or are these all stereotypes and misconceptions? But what do all of these individuals have in common? Do they share specific characteristics and if so can we identify potential terrorists? What drives these individuals to do such horrific acts of violence? What must have snapped in their head and convinced them that what they are doing is the right thing to do? Are terrorists mentally ill or are they are they are normal person like you and me
To infiltrate the mind of a terrorist it is crucial to understand how cognition works. The American Psychological Association describes …show more content…
It is important to understand that no single theory can explain the mentality of all terrorists. The Frustration-Aggression hypothesis initially developed by John Dollard proposed that people where most likely to turn to aggression after experiencing feelings of frustration due to interference with attainment of a desired goal (Berkowitz, 1989). According to the Frustration-Aggression hypothesis people turn to terrorism as a result of their frustrations with their political, social and economical situations. However, many psychologists regard this hypothesis as simplistic on grounds that aggression is not always a consequence of …show more content…
All of their direct data comes from terrorists that have been imprisoned thus creating a problem of generalization. John Horgan, psychologist and director of the International Center for the study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania State University, conducted around 60 interviews with former terrorists and suggested that people who are inclined to terrorism have feelings of anger and alienation. Horgan proposed that these individuals “Believe that engaging in violence against the state is not immoral” and “Feel the need to take action rather than just talking about the problem” ( DeAngelis, 2009). Hudson discusses that plenty of young adults who are recruited are often unemployed, uneducated and socially isolated. They join terrorist groups because they have the need to belong. Often these young adults have no families and are desperate to fulfill their sense of seclusion. By joining terrorist organizations they not only get the “substitute” family they longed but also the support and solidarity they so desperately