Advisor Information
Gina Ligon
Location
232
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
1-3-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
1-3-2019 10:15 AM
Abstract
The most pertinent question in terrorism research is not who becomes a terrorist, but who becomes a bomb-maker as opposed to a gunman or a suicide-bomber. To provide a fuller understanding of the mechanisms involved in the process of accepting extremist beliefs, it is essential we embrace a larger view of extremism by linking the psychological antecedents of radicalization with the various types and levels of extremist participation. The current article addresses this issue through an analysis of historiometric data of 261 Salafi Jihadist-inspired extremists in the United States. In doing so, we seek to answer the following question: To what extent does an individual’s locus of control determine one’s pathway into extremism and their level of extremist participation? Based on the data, differences in one’s locus of control—either internal or external—functioned as a distinguishing feature for both their pathway into extremism as well as their level of participation.
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I am the Master of my Fate: How One’s Locus of Control Influences Entry Type and Level of Extremist Participation
232
The most pertinent question in terrorism research is not who becomes a terrorist, but who becomes a bomb-maker as opposed to a gunman or a suicide-bomber. To provide a fuller understanding of the mechanisms involved in the process of accepting extremist beliefs, it is essential we embrace a larger view of extremism by linking the psychological antecedents of radicalization with the various types and levels of extremist participation. The current article addresses this issue through an analysis of historiometric data of 261 Salafi Jihadist-inspired extremists in the United States. In doing so, we seek to answer the following question: To what extent does an individual’s locus of control determine one’s pathway into extremism and their level of extremist participation? Based on the data, differences in one’s locus of control—either internal or external—functioned as a distinguishing feature for both their pathway into extremism as well as their level of participation.