Psychological and Behavioral Factors of Terrorism, Essay Example

Terrorism occurs not in a vacuum, but in light of various psychological and behavioral factors that influence the way that groups and individuals will make decisions.  An analysis of these factors can help to develop a coherent framework for understanding how an individual or group turns to terrorist activities.  A description of these factors can help to establish the underlying elements that are involved in the adoption of these activities.  Furthermore, understanding the means of communication and the influences that they have on the adoption of terrorist behavior is also important.  In summarizing the factors that are associated with specific groups a better idea of how these activities can be analyzed will help to promote a more accurate demonstration of their underlying purpose. Radicalization models will further help to demonstrate the underlying motives behind these actions.  Finally, in understanding the factors associated with disengaging from terrorism a more accurate conception of the realities of those involved can be established.

The conception of the psychological and behavioral factors that are involved in terrorism can help to provide an underlying basis for the conditions under which these actions are carried out.  The discussion can, therefore, help to provide insight into the underlying motives of terrorist activities. In this way, it can help to establish a “foundation for understanding terrorists and their acts of violence” (Borum 2004, p. 4).  In doing so, the psychological and behavioral factors that contribute to the radicalization of the individual, and ultimately to terrorist activities, can help to build a framework for counteractions to take place. These actions, when rooted in a basic idea of these psychological and behavioral factors, can be better understood.

In order to understand the underlying psychology of terrorist acts, it is important to clearly define the term. The idea that is being discussed is terrorism in regards to underlying extremist principles.  In this sense, terrorism can be understood as “acts of violence intentionally perpetrated on civilian non-combatants with the goal of furthering some ideological, religious or political objective” (Borum 2004, p. 4).  The challenges associated with understanding these principles is presented in regards to the diversity of factors that can implicate the involvement of an individual in these types of activities. The issue is, therefore, that there are varying challenges that must be overcome.

One of the most important factors associated with terrorist activities is the implication of an underlying objective that leads to the acts. This demonstrates the notion of deliberation in regards to the activities. In this sense, terrorist actions cannot be understood as irrational or unplanned. Instead, there is an element of purposeful planning that is involved. “Terrorist violence most often is deliberate, strategic, and instrumental; it is linked to and justified by ideological objectives and almost always involves a group or multiple actors/supporters” (Borum 2004, p. 17).  This, furthermore, demonstrates the importance of groups ideology in regards to the psychological factors associated with terrorism.

Other important factors include the intentions of the actors as well as their preexisting circumstances. The environment that they are a part of, in this case, is an important factor in the development of extremist ideologies. “Among the key psychological factors in understanding whether, how and which individuals in a given environment will enter the process of becoming a terrorist are motive and vulnerability” (Borum 2004, p. 24). The motives for such acts are diverse and complex, however, the susceptibility that a person has for the instability of their environment is a fundamental factor.  This presents an important underlying reason for the way that group ideologies can be affected by the circumstances of their time and place.

The underlying reasons that these individuals join these groups, however, are often considerably wide-ranging and dependent upon the context of their situation. This is an important aspect to understand in order to build a rational dialogue regarding the development of terrorist ideologies. In this sense, it is evident that “motives to join a terrorist organization and to engage in terrorism vary considerably across different types of groups, and also within groups” (Borum 2004, p. 24). The opportunity for action, the need to belong, the desire for social status, and the availability of rewards are important factors that might contribute to terrorist activities. Injustice, identity, and belonging are, therefore, important motivations for an individual take part in these activities. “A need to belong, along with an incomplete personal identity, is a common factor that cuts across the groups” (Borum 2004, p. 26).

One of the major means of communication that terrorist groups use are through the channels of a specific ideological or political representation. This is important in regards to ideologies or belief systems that “justify terrorism and portray it as efficient and honorable” (Kruglanski 2009, p. 3). These underlying ideas regarding are important to the analysis of these means of communication and their influence on the terrorist narrative.  In considering the implications of an underlying belief structure on the involvement of a group or individual in terrorist activities it is important to understand the way that organizational behaviors can affect the decisions that are made by the individual.

One of the most crucial elements of terrorist activity to understand in regards to its inception and disseminations is its use by groups as a source of leverage. This presents the need to understand how “organizational decision making that results in its employment as a tactical tool” (Kruglanski 2009, p. 3). The way that these organizations communicate is, therefore, an essential element in the interpretation of terrorist activities and their associations with the principles of groups. These groups will ultimately be the source of how information is disseminated resulting in a specific view being portrayed. This presents a challenge to combating the ideologies that are spread through terrorist organizations and their activities.

In this sense, it is important to understand the underlying factors that contribute to the responsiveness that individuals have to the messages that are presented by the groups that they are a part of.  This is important because this responsiveness is essential to the effectiveness of the organization and its goals. “Organizational functioning presupposes individuals’ readiness to participate and contribute to tasks defined by the organization” (Kruglanski 2009, p. 5). In this sense, the ability for these groups to communicate their messages is fundamentally predicated on the underlying psychological response that the individual has to the group and the goals that it aspires to.

The underlying goal of al Qaeda is to create a sense of instability to Western nations in order to challenge their established identities.  This is done in a way that promotes violence in order to make the point more clear.  For this reason, one of the main tactics that are utilized by this organization is “inducing fear among their representatives and adherents” (Gelles 2005, p. 468).  This presents insight into the underlying psychological and behavioral factors that their leadership uses in order to promote their goals in the region.

The structure of al Qaeda is presented as that of a rebel group fighting an oppressive regime.  This is because the initial goal of the group was “to free themselves from control by a government that, in their view, did not appropriately represent persons with their own collective religious, ethnic, or cultural identity” (Gelles 468).  This ideal is still utilized in order to promote their legitimacy and establish them as a symbolic representation in order to inspire those who have become disenfranchised.  In this way, despite shifting goals and priorities, the group uses psychological aspects of inspiration in order to attain recruits.  In the presents day “the primary goal is to attack symbolic targets that reflect the secular decadence of Western life” (Gelles 2005, p. 468).

One model of radicalization is the motivation from identity.  The conflicting ideas of identity that are suggested in this model present a way to understand the psychology of the terrorist.  “While ascriptive identities are part of an individual’s socialization process often from infancy, there are identities that people choose to adopt at a later stage of life” (Gupta 2006, p. 13).  In this sense, it is evident that “every conscious human action is a mixture of both individual and collective identity” (Gupta 2006, p. 13).

Terrorist ideologies, in this sense, are built upon the notion of group identity.  In this way, these groups are able to create their structures through “developing a compelling identity on the basis of which a large number of people would act” (Gupta 2006, p. 14).  This is an important implication in regards to how terrorist groups and their psychological reasons for radicalization can be understood. The messages presented by the leaders of many terrorist groups essentially “taps into the deeply held religious or cultural ethos of the people” (Gupta 2006, p. 17).  This demonstrates how the radicalization of the individual can be built upon the reality of their situation.

There are various reasons that an individual might disengage from terrorist groups. Essentially, they might become disillusioned with the group due to various circumstances.  This can be the result of “a loss of a charismatic leader, military defeat, stopped flow of money and arms, alienation from its support bases, or the destruction of social network for joining the group” (Gupta 2006, p. 21).  This demonstrates the diverse reality for those who are a part of these organizations.  The psychological effects of the loss of an important figure, loss at the hands of the enemy, loss of supplies and standards of living, as well as the loss of support by the community of which the individual is a part of can all present the underlying factors necessary for the individual to leave the group.

Engagement in terrorist activities are primarily motivated by the underlying social, cultural, and political ideologies of an individual or a group. The psychological factors that are related to these elements present a basis for understanding the realities of extremist thought.  Groups such as al Qaeda utilize established religious beliefs in order to promote their general agendas.  In doing so, the behavioral aspects of terrorism are presented through the lens of these extremist ideologies.  In analyzing the purposes of these groups, the factors that are important demonstrate that the individual is strongly motivated by the psychological pressures of group decisions.

Bibliography

Borum, Randy. Psychology of Terrorism. Tampa: University of South Florida. 2004.

Gelles, Michael. Al-Qaeda’s Operational Evolution: Behavioral and Organizational Perspectives. Mental Health Law and Policy Publications. 2005.

Gupta, Dipak K. Toward An Integrated Behavioral Framework for Analyzing Terrorism: Individual Motivations to Group Dynamics. Department of Political Science: San Diego State University. 2006.

Kruglanski, Arie W. Psychological Factors in Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Individual, Group, and Organizational Levels of Analysis. Social Issues and Policy Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2009.