Who Becomes A Terrorist Instrumental and Psychological Explanations

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Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental and
Psychological Explanations

• PO 483 The Politics of Terrorism

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Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental Explanations

• Four Main Questions
• In Which Immediate Political Contexts Should We
  Expect Terrorism to Be a Rational Choice for
  Groups?
• Which Individuals Should Be Expected to
  Rationally Choose to Become a Member of a Group
  Whose Main Political Weapon is Terrorism?

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Who Becomes A Terrorist? Instrumental Explanations

• Four Main Questions
• What is the Collective Action Problem? Are
  Terrorist Groups Better Able to Solve It?
• What Purposes Does Terrorism in Certain Political
  Contexts Serve Other Than Intimidation of a
  Government and the Citizens it Governs?

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What Leads to the Rational Development of
Terrorist Movements?

• Preconditions
• Permissive
• Modernization restructuring of societies
  (cultural), transportation and communication
  (mobility and publicity)
• Urbanization provides more opportunity for
  interaction and covert operations, and eliminates
  other options such as guerilla and full-frontal
  assaults (concentration of state power)
• Social Facilitation social habits and
  historical traditions (Irish example)

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What Leads to the Rational Development of
Terrorist Movements?

• Preconditions
• Enabling
• Concrete grievances among a subgroup this can
  lead to the development of social movements to
  redress the grievances
• Lack of opportunity for political participation
  this may not be directed toward any particular
  subgroup

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What Leads to the Rational Development of
Terrorist Movements?

• Apathetic Majority
• Majority of individuals affected by a perceived
  injustice does not feel conditions to be so bad
  as to warrant insurrection or a violent redress
  of grievances
• Extremist Elite
• Belief in righteousness of cause is strong enough
  for the benefits of changing the status quo to
  exceed the costs (or to allow them to incur a
  great deal more costs than others).

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Extremist Elite

• Willing to suffer large personal costs to receive
  potential benefits
• Basic Necessities Covered (Time, Energy,
  Requisite Resources)
• Educated individuals who have an idea of what
  government should do, what the government is
  doing wrong, and an idea that activism works

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Problem of Collective Action The Advantage of
Extremist Elites

• Extremist Elites Have Many Problems Overcoming
  Immediate Collective Action Problems Not Normally
  One
• Olsonian Collective Action Problem
• Like minded individuals want to get the same
  thing accomplished
• As the group gets larger, free riding more likely
• Excessive free riding equals the end of the
  endeavor (example of collective security and the
  UN)
• Solutions Selective incentives for large groups,
  highly motivated individuals each willing to bear
  a large part of the burden of getting the job
  done in small groups
• For Extremist Elite Self Selection Diminishes
  Free Riding

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Courting the Majority of the Affected Group

• In addition to impact that the terrorist acts
  have on government and other citizens, they are
  conducted to gain material/popular strength for
  the cause by garnering the support of the rest of
  the subgroup
• Goal Gain Support By Affecting Cost/Benefit
  Calculus of Subgroup, Thereby Moving to Higher
  Levels of Armed Conflict

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Important Anomalies Concerning Terrorism For
Which Rational Choice Theory Seems Ill-Equipped

• Why do we sometimes see extremely young
  individuals sacrificing their lives for a cause
  they may not understand, and when they may not
  have felt the oppression that is the root enemy
  of the group? (e.g., Hamas)
• Why do we see extremely violent attacks that seem
  to guarantee the subsequent eradication of the
  group? (e.g., Al-Queda)
• Why do we see the continuation of terrorist
  violence by groups even after the defeat of the
  groups or the attainment of objectives (e.g.,
  PIRA)

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Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism

• Individual Psychology
• The study of the individual mind, or what mental
  impetuses cause individuals to do what they do
  (contrast with RCT)
• Generally, individuals act based on the need to
  equilibrate their mental states they attempt to
  satisfy a perceived void in their psyche which is
  created or left lacking by individual experience

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Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism

• Group Psychology
• Two general areas of interest
• The desire of individuals to join groups
  (identity, camaraderie)
• The effects of group dynamics on individual/group
  thinking (groupthink)

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Why do Individuals Form or Join Terrorist Groups?

• Rational Choice Explanation
• Relatively educated, financially secure,
  politically motivated
• Join to change unjust status quo
• Willing to incur high costs
• Time and energy
• Possible retaliation by status quo power
• Banishment from society

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Why do Individuals Form or Join Terrorist Groups?

• Psychological Explanations
• Individuals disaffected do not fit in with
  family, society
• Individual fails to establish trust, autonomy, or
  individual/social identity
• Leaders Evince belief in the cause from outset,
  but start also for a sense of purpose,
  empowerment, and identity.
• Followers May not feel any connection to cause
  at outset. Join mainly to gain a sense of
  identity, belonging, or to engage in dangerous
  activity
• Psychopaths may desire to join, but are avoided
  VERY FEW TERRORISTS EXHIBIT PSYCHOPATHIC
  ABNORMALITIES

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Why do Individuals Participate in and Escalate
Terrorist Violence after Joining?

• Rational Choice Explanation
• Choice commensurate with cost-benefit analysis
• Power very limited, but circumstances dictate
  that the cause can be furthered by using violence
• Status quo power too cruel, unjust to allow SQ to
  continue (Crenshaw precipitant)

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Why do Individuals Participate in and Escalate
Terrorist Violence after Joining?

• Psychological Explanations
• After completing mundane tasks
• Gradual indoctrination, socialization,
  desensitization to violence
• Defining moment der sprung
• Guilt associated with violence mitigated by group
  acceptance and sense of identification (may not
  even be justifiable)
• Peer pressure promotes self-sacrifice
• Solidarity via violence (greater violence
  greater solidarity)
• Can cause continuation/needless escalation of
  violence