Matakuliah
Tahun
: L0472 - Psikologi Forensik
: Feb -2010
Psychology of Terrorist
Pertemuan 09
“One person’s terrorist is another person’s
freedom fighter.”
(cited from Bozarth, 2006)
Theories of Terrorism
(O'Connor, T., 2009)
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Political theory of anarchism
Political theory of facism
Philosophical theory of religion
The economic theory of rational choice
The global theory
Sociological and psychological theory
Traditional criminological theory
Theories unique to domestic terrorism
Major Psychological Approach
To Terrorism
• Syndrome: a conception of terrorism as an entity, or a
monolith, with a set of identifiable characteristics
• Tool: an instrument, an immoral means employed by
groups some of which have just causes, some of which
don’t
They seem to share a feature
of the psychological condition known as antisocial personality disorder or
psychopathic personality disorder, which is reflected by an absence of empathy for the suffering of others. However, they do not appear
As far as we know, most terrorists feel that they are doing nothing wrong when they kill and injure people.
unstable or mentally ill for this. A common feature is a type of thinking such as “I am good and right. You are bad and wrong.” It is a very polarized thinking which allows them to
distance themselves from opponents and makes it easier for them to kill people. It is not the same kind of simplistic thinking one would expect from someone with low intelligence
or moral development. Most terrorists are of above average intelligence and have sophisticated ethical and moral development. A closed-minded certainty is a common feature
of terrorist thinking.
(Merari 1990)
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There is no unique “psychology of terrorism” that explains the motivations
and processes by which people come to engage in terrorist activity 
Actuarial approach of criminal profiling
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No common personality profiles or patterns of life-history have yet been
found that define members of terrorist groups or that identify individuals
willing to carry out terrorist attacks  Case study approach of criminal
profiling
Path to Terrorism: Model #1
(from Bozarth, 2006)
Path to Terrorism: Model #2
Social, Political, Economic, or Religious Strife
Feelings of Empowerment and
Ability to Affect Change
Psychological Despair and
Feelings of Hopelessness
Adaptive Coping Response
Blame Self
Blame Others
Social-Political Activism
Psychological
Depression
Indoctrination into
culture of hatred
Democratic Reform or alternative
evolution of social structure
Suicide
Homicide
Psychopathologial
(from Bozarth, 2006)
Criminal
Terrorist
Path to Terrorism: Model #3
Learning, conditioning, and social modeling
are important factors for understanding the
spread of terrorism
“Brain Washing”
Modeling Behavior
Social Contagion Theory
(from Bozarth, 2006)