9/11
True or False: 9/11 was the first time that al Qaeda had successfully launched an attack on the US homeland
FALSE. They bombed the WTC in 1993 as well.
The first use of the word terror in a political context was during this historical event.
The French Revolution "Reign of Terror"
These types of movements were associated with terrorism in the 1940s and 50s.
Independence movements
True or False: a pre-condition for terrorism is the specific event(s) that immediately precede the occurrence of terrorism
FALSE. That is a precipitant. Pre-conditions are the factors that set the stage for terrorism over the long-run
This is one major methodological problem present in several studies of the psychology of terrorism.
Selection on the dependent variable
This effect was demonstrated by President George W. Bush’s high approval rating following the 9/11 attacks.
Rally around the flag effect
This is the core difference between criminal and terrorist violence.
Political Aims
Hoffman argued that anti-_____ terrorism campaigns are critical to understanding the evolution of modern terrorism.
Colonial
Mark Juergensmeyer argues that, when it comes to terrorism, religion is not the problem, but is _______.
Problematic.
True or false: Researchers find that terrorists usually exhibit psychiatric disorders.
False. Terrorists may exhibit identifiable psychological traits though.
This act, signed into law by President George W. Bush, allowed for heightened governmental surveillance authority in an attempt to obstruct terrorism.
USA PATRIOT Act
This is the difference between guerilla violence and terrorist violence.
Terrorism primarily targets civilians or non-combatants.
What is the primary hypothesized difference between "old" terrorism and "new" terrorism.
Poverty in conjunction with discrimination may “cause” terrorism at the societal level. What 1993 theory integrates group motivations for political violence with the collective opportunities to do so?
Gurr’s relative deprivation theory
Collective disadvantages -> cohesive minority identity -> long-term grievance
Describe terrorism as a syndrome.
Terrorism represents a psychologically meaningful construct with identifiable characteristics on individual and group levels of analysis (Kruglanski)
The majority of hijackers on 9/11 were from this country.
Saudi Arabia
This organization was a leading driver of the "internationalization" of terrorism in the 1960s and 1970s.
The PLO
If all civil wars have at least some terrorism, but some terrorism takes place outside of civil war contexts, then civil war is this type of cause of terrorism.
Sufficient, but not necessary.
If we consider terrorism to be a syndrome, what are some psychological contributing factors to terrorist action?
Relative deprivation, mortality salience, right wing authoritarianism, collectivism, sensation seeking, cognitive styles, group dynamics
In March 2003, this percentage of Americans supported the war in Iraq.
72% (+/- 2 percentage points acceptable).
When studying violence by rebel groups, Page Fortna makes this additional distinction in defining certain violence by rebel to be "terrorism"
Violence must be indiscriminate.
Name 5 of the top 10 most lethal terror organizations since 1970.
Taliban, ISIL, Tamil Tigers, Boko Haram, AQI, Shining Path, TTP, FMLN, FARC, Al-Shabaab.
Of the causes we’ve discussed in the class, which explanation seems most plausible according to Mitts?
Discrimination
If we consider terrorism to be a tool (instead of a syndrome), what might a potential solution be?
Shift potential utility calculations of would-be terrorists to make alternative means to the same ends appear feasible and superior.