A new understanding of terrorism using cognitive dissonance principles

This article presents a new theory, rooted in cognitive dissonance principles, to help explain why some individuals become terrorists. When individuals attempt non-violent means of achieving sociopolitical goals and fail,or repeatedly witness the failure of non-violent approaches, some become more interested in terrorist organizations. Dissonance arises when these previously non-violent individuals contemplate using violence. For most, this dissonance is an effective inhibitor and they do not join the organization (or, if they do join, they do not actually commit violent acts themselves). I suggest that what differentiates the few who do become terrorists from the majority who do not is often the ability to reduce this cognitive dissonance via several mechanisms-just world bias, social support, prioritizing dream imagery over external reality, diffusion of responsibility and moral disengagement. I argue that Western country leaders' belligerent counter-terrorism rhetoric actually leads to increases in terrorist attacks and violence through reducing future terrorists' cognitive dissonance.