Deck 11: Psychology of Terrorism

Question 1

The process of becoming a terrorist is best described as

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

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

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) martyrdom.
C) a point-of-no-return ritual.
D) dehumanization.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The FBI classifies terrorists according to

A) country.
B) motives.
C) religious beliefs.
D) political leanings.

Question 5

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.

Question 6

Diffusion of responsibility is similar to the concept of

A) deindividuation.
B) risky shift.
C) authority conformity.
D) moral destruction.

Question 7

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) Through a process of learned helplessness

Question 8

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) Political extremism
D) Cultural devaluation

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

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.

Question 11

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.

Question 12

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 14

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

Question 15

Which terrorist is an example of a lone wolf terrorist?

A) Theodore Kaczynski
B) Vladimir Putin
C) ISIS
D) Osama bin Laden

Question 16

The majority of terrorist attacks that occur in the United States have been carried out by

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

Question 17

Euphemistic language and moral justifications are processes involved in

A) dehumanization.
B) disengagement.
C) advantageous comparisons.
D) cognitive restructuring.

Question 18

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) Special interest extremists

Question 19

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 20

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) displacement of responsibility.

Question 21

The anthrax scare of 2001 is considered an act of

A) nuclear terrorism.
B) ABC terrorism.
C) international terrorism.
D) bioterrorism.

Question 22

All of the following are true of lone wolf terrorists except

A) they operate individually.
B) they act without the direct influence of a leader.
C) their acts of violence are spontaneous and haphazard.
D) their backgrounds include poor interpersonal and social skills.

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

All terrorist activities are criminal.

Question 25

Eric Rudolph is presented in the text as an example of a

A) charismatic leader.
B) school shooter.
C) religious radical.
D) lone wolf terrorist.

Question 26

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.

Question 27

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

Question 28

In general,terrorists are a heterogeneous group.

Question 29

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.

Question 30

Which factor has contributed to the increase in lone wolf terrorist activities in the United States?

A) Unemployment
B) Social media
C) Poverty
D) Racial profiling

Question 31

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

Question 32

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

Question 33

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

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

Question 34

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.

Question 35

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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

Question 39

By definition,an individual who terrorizes is a terrorist.

Question 40

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

Question 41

Compare and contrast the Quest for Significance Theory and Terror Management Theory.

Question 42

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

Question 43

Why would a terrorist volunteer for a suicide mission?

Question 44

The aim of terrorism is to create ________ in a civilian population.

Question 45

The textbook uses the ________ definition of terrorism.

Question 46

The word ________ in TMT refers to the high anxiety of eventual death that all humans face.

Question 47

In the context of terrorism,________ is defined as an individual's indoctrination to fully embrace a terrorist group's ideology and mission,and to gradually embrace the of violence necessary to reach the group's goals.

Question 48

People who have a ________ bias perceive a connection between what people do,are,or believe in,and what happens to them.

Question 49

Psychosocial context is a cognitively constructed world that is sustained through the ________ process associated with each culture.

Question 50

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

Question 51

According to the concept of euphemistic language,people can display more cruelty or at least can feel better about what they are doing when their conduct is given a ________ label.

Question 52

A quest for significance needs to be specifically ________ by someone or some event in order for it to influence behavior.

Question 53

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

Question 54

Terrorism today offers a much greater threat of violence to the world than ever before due to ________.

Question 55

Left-wing extremist groups become terrorists when they move from ________ activism to violent activities.