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Individual differences in relational motives interact with the political context to produce terrorism and terrorism-support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2014

Lotte Thomsen ,
Milan Obaidi ,
Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington ,
Nour Kteily  and
Jim Sidanius
Lotte Thomsen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway. [email protected] Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [email protected]://www.jennifersheehyskeffington.comhttp://harvard.academia.edu/[email protected]://projects.iq.harvard.edu/sidaniuslab/people/jim-sidanius
Milan Obaidi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [email protected]://www.jennifersheehyskeffington.comhttp://harvard.academia.edu/[email protected]://projects.iq.harvard.edu/sidaniuslab/people/jim-sidanius European University Institute, I-50014 San Domenico di Fiesole (FI), Italy. [email protected]://eui.academia.edu/MObaidi
Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway. [email protected] Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [email protected]://www.jennifersheehyskeffington.comhttp://harvard.academia.edu/[email protected]://projects.iq.harvard.edu/sidaniuslab/people/jim-sidanius
Nour Kteily
Affiliation:
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208. [email protected]://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/kteily_nour.aspx
Jim Sidanius
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [email protected]://www.jennifersheehyskeffington.comhttp://harvard.academia.edu/[email protected]://projects.iq.harvard.edu/sidaniuslab/people/jim-sidanius
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Abstract

The psychology of suicide terrorism involves more than simply the psychology of suicide. Individual differences in social dominance orientation (SDO) interact with the socio-structural, political context to produce support for group-based dominance among members of both dominant and subordinate groups. This may help explain why, in one specific context, some people commit and endorse terrorism, whereas others do not.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 377 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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