Deck 11: Psychology of Terrorism

Question 1

Compared to other violent criminals, research shows that terrorists are often:

A) reactively depressed.
B) sexually sadistic..
C) emotionally stable.
D) mentally disordered.
E) psychopathically inclined.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Terrorists may view their actions as stemming from the dictates of authorities and leaders rather than from their own personal responsibility. This process is called:

A) dehumanization.
B) deindividuation.
C) dichotomy of the identity.
D) disassociation.
E) displacement of responsibility.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The process in which terrorists are convinced that their way of life and fundamental cultural values are superior to those they attack is referred to as:

A) moral justification.
B) euphemistic language.
C) advantageous comparison.
D) cultural comparison.
E) cultural conviction.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which process, identified by Ervin Staub, occurs when a group or culture is selected by another group or culture as a scapegoat or an ideological enemy?

A) Relative deprivation
B) Targeted selection
C) Targeted scapegoating
D) Cultural deprivation
E) Cultural devaluation

Question 5

An individual who joins a terror group to lash out against dire circumstances is displaying the _____ response pattern to helplessness.

A) reproach
B) attack
C) avoidance
D) reactive depression
E) last-resort

Question 6

Bandura believes that terrorists justify their horrific acts in what way?

A) Through a process of cognitive restructuring
B) By associating themselves with religious zeal
C) By accepting responsibility for their actions
D) By denying that their actions are truly harmful
E) Through a process of learned helplessness

Question 7

Cognitive restructuring involves:

A) moral justifications.
B) euphemistic language.
C) advantageous comparisons.
D) a and b.
E) all the above.

Question 8

Which of the following is not included in Marsella's (2004) definition of terrorism?

A) It is a recent phenomenon.
B) It involves the use of force or violence.
C) It is performed by individuals or groups.
D) Its intention is to instill fear.
E) It is used as a means of coercing individuals or groups to change social positions.

Question 9

According to research by Borum and Gelles (2005), which of the following is not a characteristic of al-Qaeda today?

A) Strategically adaptive
B) Far reaching
C) Evolving
D) Fanatical
E) Organized

Question 10

Diffusion of responsibility is similar to the concept of:

A) deindividuation.
B) risky shift.
C) authority conformity.
D) moral destruction.
E) maturation-degeneration hypothesis.

Question 11

When a person lacks motivation to act after exposure to unpleasant events over which he feels he has not control, he is probably experiencing:

A) learned helplessness.
B) learned aversion.
C) proactive depression.
D) nuchal rigidity.
E) Erickson's industry versus inferiority stage of moral development.

Question 12

The tendency of a group to develop beliefs and make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members is called:

A) risky shift.
B) group persuasion.
C) extreme terrorism.
D) group think.
E) group hyperbole.

Question 13

The FBI classifies terrorists according to:

A) country of origin.
B) motives.
C) religious beliefs.
D) political leanings.
E) typology.

Question 14

A terrorist who writes a good-bye letter to his parents immediately before carrying out a suicide mission is engaging in:

A) a fail-safe procedure.
B) living martyrdom.
C) "point of no return" ritual.
D) disengagement.
E) childhood regression.

Question 15

An individual's indoctrination to fully embrace a terrorist group's ideology and mission is called:

A) radicalization.
B) social modeling.
C) self-censure.
D) group affiliation.
E) social marginalization.

Question 16

A process that reduces human beings to the level of nonhuman animals without individuality, dignity or autonomy is known as:

A) animal morphism.
B) deferred prosecution.
C) dehumanization.
D) degradation.
E) deindividuation.

Question 17

The textbook states that the process of becoming a terrorist is:

A) gradual.
B) quick.
C) haphazard.
D) crude.
E) simple.

Question 18

Which of the following offenders is not an example of a lone-wolf terrorist?

A) Theodore Kaczynski
B) Timothy McVeigh
C) Eric Rudolph
D) Osama bin Laden
E) The Unabomber

Question 19

The majority of terrorist attacks that occur in the U.S. have been carried out by:

A) former military personnel.
B) international terrorist organizations.
C) al-Qaeda.
D) anti-abortionists.
E) lone wolves.

Question 20

Highly violent antiabortion activists are placed in which one of the FBI terrorists groups?

A) Radical misogynists
B) Religious radicals
C) Psychologically motivated terrorists
D) Radical psychological terrorists
E) Special interest extremists

Question 21

Lone wolf terrorists are more likely to be mentally disturbed than other terrorists.

Question 22

Which one of Bandura's strategies of disengagement is most apparent in incidents of group violence?

A) Advantageous comparison
B) Euphemisms
C) Cognitive restructuring
D) Dehumanization
E) Diffusion of responsibility

Question 23

Some terrorists convince themselves that their actions are socially worthy and have an ultimate moral purpose. This process is called:

A) moral absolutism.
B) moral consistency.
C) social determinism.
D) moral justification.
E) civil disobedience.

Question 24

Which of the following is a characteristic of Staub's terrorist groups?

A) Hierarchal submission
B) Superiority complex
C) Equality
D) Cultrual devaluation
E) Randomized violence

Question 25

Al-Qaeda would be considered a cohesive group with loyal members.

Question 26

In 1846, Henry David Thoreau refused to pay six years of delinquent taxes in opposition to the Mexican-American War and slavery. Thoreau was engaging in:

A) moral conformism.
B) anarchal passivity.
C) civil disobedience.
D) moral righteousness.
E) passive resistance.

Question 27

The textbook states that domestic terrorism:

A) does not exist.
B) is more violent than international terrorism.
C) can be understood in much the same way as international terrorism.
D) involves radically different psychological principles than international terrorism.
E) causes more psychological damage than international terrorism.

Question 28

The anthrax scare of 2001 is considered an act of:

A) nuclear terrorism.
B) ABC terrorism.
C) international terrorism.
D) chemical warfare.
E) bioterrorism.

Question 29

The primary similarity between terrorists and other violent offenders is their history of antisocial behavior.

Question 30

An individual in Kohlberg's late preconventional stage would likely be focused on:

A) avoiding punishment.
B) satisfying his/her own needs.
C) self-chosen, consistent ethical principles.
D) conformity and others' approval
E) respect and dignity of all human beings.

Question 31

The developmental histories of most terrorists are fraught with mental instability and antisocial behavior.

Question 32

By definition, an individual who terrorizes is a terrorist.

Question 33

The procedure of trying to mimic an event under laboratory conditions is called:

A) simulation.
B) mimicry experimentation.
C) mimicry situationalism.
D) paraexperiment.
E) trialing.

Question 34

Theodore Kazynski is presented in the text as an example of a:

A) charismatic leader.
B) school shooter.
C) religious radical.
D) lone wolf terrorist.
E) all of the above.

Question 35

In general, terrorists are a heterogeneous group.

Question 36

Peer influence is often the primary reason for joining a terrorist group.

Question 37

All terrorist activities are criminal.

Question 38

Which statement is not true of lone wolf terrorists?

A) They operate individually.
B) They act without the direct influence of a leader.
C) Their acts of violence are spontaneous and haphazard.
D) They demonstrate poor interpersonal and social skills.
E) They are more likely than other terrorists to be emotionally disturbed.

Question 39

The attacks on September 11, 2001 marked a radical shift in U.S. connection to terrorism.

Question 40

Research shows that an aggressive military approach is the most effective method of ending international terrorism.

Question 41

Describe Bandura's six disengagement practices.

Question 42

Describe the process of becoming a terrorist.

Question 43

What are the FBI's four classifications of terrorist groups? Provide an example of each.

Question 44

Define the three major disengagement practices often employed by terrorists to justify their actions.

Question 45

What affect has globalization had on a) the incidence of terrorism and b) the power of terrorist organizations?

Question 46

Compare and contrast Piaget and Kohlberg's stages of moral development. How may these stages explain terrorist activity.

Question 47

Describe the reasons why a terrorist might volunteer for a suicide mission.

Question 48

What is cognitive restructuring and how does it relate to both perpetrators and victims of terrorism?

Question 49

List and describe briefly the characteristics of lone wolf-terrorists. Provide an example.

Question 50

List and describe the three motivational categories of terrorism. Discuss the motives and justification that are characteristic of terrorists. Provide examples of each.