key question

Question 1

what is the key question for social psychology?

Answer 1

what makes people commit acts of terrorism against fellow human beings?

Question 2

description of key question:

Answer 2

• attack on world trade centre in America on 11th september 2001 (9/11), Manchester concert attack in may 2017 and London Bridge attack in June 2017 have stirred public opinion and made us all consider what motivates ordinary person to become terrorist
• terrorism: the use of threat of action to influence a government or intimidate public for political or religious case
• terrorism is not new. has been used since beginnings of recorded history. e.g. French revolution 1789. however, it has evolved over last 200 years and now the most common types of terrorism include bombings, hostage taking and hi-jacking
• recent ideas now hold that roots of terrorism lie not in individual but in wider circumstances in which terrorists live and act

Question 3

application: in-group out-group

Answer 3

terrorists may believe they are the in-group and categorise themselves as such at the expense of anti-terrorists (the out-group). in identifying with one group they will take on social norms and values of group and wear uniform/clothes to show their membership of group. in-group favouritism to their own group/cause e.g. suicide bombers are martyrs (suffer for the cause) may protect their own self-esteem

Question 4

application: realistic conflict theory

Answer 4

rct would take this idea further and suggest there is some competition (political/societal) between groups which leads to form of discrimination

Question 5

application: obedience

Answer 5

terrorists may be following a leader in position of authority who may make them obey his commands to carry out atrocities. terrorists are therefore obeying the (religious/political) leaders’ authority figures as they are in an agentic state

Question 6

application: autonomous state

Answer 6

some suicide bombers may be in autonomous state, fully believing what they are doing is correct and of own free will. however, others may not want to do these acts and may experience moral strain when doing so

Question 7

application: social impact theory

Answer 7

simpt would suggest that terrorists were all in an agreement that it was acceptable and message was strong. because of number of previous terrorist attacks and the immediacy of message, impact of decision these atrocities was high