Research by a leading psychologist is improving understanding of terrorists and their acts of violence, considered among the gravest national security threats.
Psychology lecturer at Charles Darwin University, Dr Peter Forster will present a free public lecture on the topic ”The Psychology of Terrorism” on Thursday, 20 November as a part of National Psychology Week.
Dr Forster has studied the psychology of terror for several years with the aim to better understand the main factors and current thoughts about the phenomenon.
“Terrorist atrocities such as the attacks on the World Trade Center have the power to evoke strong emotions such as anger, fear, hatred and the desire for revenge,” Dr Forster said.
“Psychologists have studied many aspects of terrorism and terrorists themselves to help understand and prevent future terrorist acts and save lives.”
Dr Forster said his presentation would provide an overview of psychologists’ contributions to understanding terrorism, as well as addressing popular perceptions of terrorists.
“Specifically, it will describe psychologists’ contributions to understanding the motives of terrorists, understanding who becomes a terrorist and how ordinary people can be influenced to become terrorists,” he said.
“Much of the behaviour of terrorists can be understood by applying well-established psychological models.
“In addition, new techniques have been developed to study the internal dynamics of terror cells.”
Dr Forster said the current void in understanding terrorists and their behaviours was the major challenge facing government and policy-makers.
“The lack of a simple terrorist profile or diagnosable mental illness makes it difficult to predict who will become terrorists and, having become a terrorist, to detect them through profiling,” he said.
“Among the things we do know is that terrorists have many different reasons or motives for their acts. Whether they are politically or religiously motivated, the basis underpinning their actions will always differ.”
Dr Forster will present ”The Psychology of Terrorism” at the Billabong Room, Novotel Atrium on Thursday, 20 November at 6pm.