Thoughtful Decision-Making as Terrorism Prevention

• In Event: Division on Terrorism and Bias Crimes Panel: Decision-Making Patterns in Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Engagement and Tactics

Abstract

What makes the rare individuals turn to political violence and extremism, while others restrict their protests to legal forms of dissent or abstain from activism entirely? One largely unexplored potential reason suggests that these two groups may differ in their decision-making processes. Previous research has demonstrated that unsystematic, and un-reflective patterns of decision-making are predictive of future delinquency and maladaptive behavior among youth. Moreover, research has shown that with training, individuals can learn to be more reflective and systematic about their decision-making, avoiding some of these negative outcomes. I explore this relationship in the context of political violence with originally collected data from a randomly selected sample of over 500 students at a large public university. Using a survey instrument that captures thoughtfully reflective decision-making, cognitive reflection, impulsivity, and activism and radicalization intentions, this presentation engages with and examines important and theoretically relevant sources of cognitive and attitudinal variation.

Author

• Michael Becker, University of Maryland