The Political Psychology of Terrorism

Abstract

Abstract How does exposure to terrorist attacks influence political attitudes and behaviors? At their core, terrorist attacks are intended to terrorize civilian targets and precipitate shifts in policy preferences. Yet terrorism affects people in vastly different ways. This chapter explores the factors that account for differences in people’s reactions toward terrorism, with a specific focus on understanding the underlying psychological processes. This chapter reviews the dominant theoretical approaches and the latest empirical research that shed light on the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral consequences stemming from terrorist attacks. It also includes a discussion of the substantive domains of politics that are most affected, ranging from public opinion on foreign affairs, to intergroup relations, to support for curtailing civil liberties. The chapter concludes by looking ahead to an impending age of cyberterrorism, and positions a role for political psychology in understanding this nascent phenomenon.