Citation

de la Corte L, Kruglanski AW, de Miguel J, Sabucedo JM, Díaz D. Psicothema 2007; 19(3): 366-374.

Vernacular Title

Siete principios psicosociales para explicar el terrorismo.

Affiliation

Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. luis.cortes@uam.es

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Departamento de Psicología de la Universidad de Oviedo, Publisher Colegio Oficial de Psicológicas de Asturias)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17617972

Abstract

Research approaches leading to the understanding of the terrorist phenomenon are suggested. Seven principles explaining terrorism are analysed from a psychosocial approach: They could complete the explanations of terrorism focused in socio-structural and psychological variables, the latter being insufficient and often erroneous. Thus, terrorism is presented as a strategy of political influence, and the psychological attributes of terrorists are explained as the result of several influential social processes. We considered that terrorist attacks and campaigns correspond to strategic reasons, but we also assume that the rationality of the terrorists perspective is limited. As far as the organisational parameters are concerned, we propose an analogy with ordinary social movements, especially relating to their ideological frameworks of legitimisation and resource mobilization processes.

Language: es