Terrorism 5

Question 1

Milgram findings

Answer 1

along with other findings, Milgram found that the beginning with small benign requests and gradually building up to a major commitment allowed normal people to go right to the end of the experiment

Question 2

Milgram’s ultimate conclusion

Answer 2

given the right conditions, most people will become destructively obedient

Question 3

Isolation

Answer 3

once recruited, the person is isolated from family, friends and the wider macrosystem connections. The isolation does not have to be physical, but is, in terms of propaganda etc.

Question 4

Isolated from

Answer 4

people who do not adhere to the extreme belief; who would disagree and argue against the doctrine; or who may report the person to a Government watch list

Question 5

By avoiding this network of people…

Answer 5

by avoiding this network of people, there is no reality check to the increasing extreme views used by the group

Question 6

Note: Information is…

Answer 6

Information is power, and they need to get the recruit to belong to a group and only communicate these extreme views (and any doubts) with the terrorist group (group think)

Question 7

Keeping control

Answer 7

use the carrot and stick approach in which reward statements and behaviours that achieve the terrorist goal and punish all doubts; generally switching from love and belongingness (a major motivation of joining) with the terror of rejection and exclusion (if the recruit begins to raise concerns/doubts)

Question 8

Example

Answer 8

fear of rejection; threat of failure and letting down the group is coupled with accepting and drawing the recruit further into the terrorist group

Question 9

What is important to control

Answer 9

important to control the narrative, that is, use their propaganda but also having exclusive control over the arguments agains their extreme position (importance of psychological isolation)

Question 10

Janis 1977 studied

Answer 10

the role of groupthink (the reality of groupthink); poor group decision making

Question 11

Janis & Mann 1977 model of groupthink

Answer 11

Social conditions (concurrence seeking) -> symptoms of group think -> symbols of defective decision making (see image)

Question 12

Social conditions (5)

Answer 12

1) high cohesiveness; 2) insulation of the group; 3) lack of methodological procedures for search and appraisal; 4) directive leadership; 5) high stress with a low degree of hope for finding a better solution than the one favoured by the leader or other influential persons

Question 13

Symptoms of groupthink (8)

Answer 13

1) illusion of invulnerability; 2) belief in inherent morality of the group; 3) collective rationalisation; 4) stereotypes of outgroups; 5) direct pressure on dissenters; 6) self-censorship; 7) illusion of unanimity; 8) self-appointed mind-guards

Question 14

Symbols of defective decision making (7)

Answer 14

1) incomplete survey of alternatives; 2) incomplete survey of objectives; 3) failure to examine risks of preferred choices; 4) poor information search; 5) selective bias in processing information at hand; 6) failure to reappraise alternatives; 7) failure to work out contingency plans

Question 15

What does measuring effectiveness of terrorism require (2)

Answer 15

measuring the effectiveness of terrorism requires us to have both a well defined set of objectives for a given terrorist organisation as well as a definite way to determine success and failure