Citation

Leistedt SJ. Encephale (1974) 2018; 44(2): 152-157.

Vernacular Title

Terrorisme et comportement humain.

Affiliation

Psychiatrie générale et médico-légale, ULB-UMons, service public fédéral-justice, hôpital psychiatrique sécurisé « Les Marronniers », 94 à 7500, rue Despars, 7500 Tournai, Belgique. Electronic address: sleistedt@icloud.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Masson Editeur)

DOI

10.1016/j.encep.2017.05.002

PMID

28606625

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Theories of religion are essential for understanding current trends in terrorist activities. The aim of this work is to clarify religion's role in facilitating terror and outline in parallel with recent theoretical developments on terrorism and human behaviour.

METHODS: Several databases were used such as PubCentral, Scopus, Medline and Science Direct. The search terms "terrorism", "social psychology", "religion", "evolution", and "cognition" were used to identify relevant studies in the databases.

RESULTS: This work examines, in a multidimensional way, how terrorists employ these features of religion to achieve their goals. In the same way, it describes how terrorists use rituals to conditionally associate emotions with sanctified symbols that are emotionally evocative and motivationally powerful, fostering group solidarity, trust, and cooperation. Religious beliefs, including promised rewards in the afterlife, further serve to facilitate cooperation by altering the perceived payoffs of costly actions, including suicide bombing. The adolescent pattern of brain development is unique, and young adulthood presents an ideal developmental stage to attract recruits and enlist them in high-risk behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS: This work offers insights, based on this translational analysis, concerning the links between religion, terrorism and human behavior.

Copyright © 2017 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Language: fr

Keywords

Cognition; Comportement humain; Evolution; Human behavior; Psychologie sociale; Social psychology; Terrorism; Terrorisme; Évolution