psychology of bioterrorism sajjad zaidi, md monmouth medical center

Psychology of Bioterrorism

Sajjad Zaidi, MDMonmouth Medical Center

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

Optional Presentation Title

Objectives

• Develop an understanding of psychology behind terrorism

• Have an understanding regarding the neurobiology behind aggression and violence

• Know the different rationalization techniques used by the terrorist mind, as well as terrorist typologies

• Understand and know the traits behind the personality disorders that commonly occur in terrorists



Outline

• Roots of Aggressive behavior

• Neurobiology of Aggression and Violence

• Terrorist Traits and Personality Disorders

Roots of Aggressive Behavior



Intrinsic or Biological Contributions to Aggressive Behavior

• Genetic contributions

• Hormones and sexual and aggressive behaviors

• Neurotransmitters and aggression

• Neuroanatomy and violence

• Alcohol, drugs, and violence

• Neurotransmitters, hormones, and moral behaviors

• Experiential contributions to aggressive behaviors

• The media and violence

• Social and cultural contributions to aggressive behaviors



Development of Symptoms of Violence and Aggression

• Human behaviors and motivations are extremely complex

• Animal behaviors are more stereotyped, easier to classify, and study

• Animal aggressive behaviors are as follows:– Predatory, intra-male, fear-induced, irritable,

territorial, maternal, and instrumental• Two major categories

– Affective aggression– Predatory aggression



Animal Aggression - Affective

• Intra-male• Fear-induced• Irritable• Territorial• Maternal

• All these involve intense activation of sympathetic nervous system– Increase BP, piloerection, pupillary dilation,

threatening behaviors



Animal Aggression - Predatory

• Evokes little or no sympathetic activation

• Predatory animal silently stalks its prey, then quickly subdues it with interest of securing food



Human Aggression

• Human behaviors are way more complex

• Studies of temperamental characteristics have:– Given insight into the personality of individuals– shown temperamentally we are all different

• Temper tantrums or aggression before age 3 are not associated with ongoing violence/aggression

• However, if aggression after age 3 then more possible continued aggression in adolescence



Human Aggression - Conclusion

• Many variables to human aggression

• How our behavior impacts our environment and the ways in which our environment responds to our individual needs throughout our lives

Neurobiology of Aggression and Violence



Neurobiology of Normal Stress Response• Norepinephrine (NE)

– Locus coeruleus - located in pons– Orienting the new stimuli– Selective attention– Autonomic arousal

• Cortisol– Stimulates metabolic process that prepare

body for fight or flight– Modulates stress response by counteracting

catecholamines and restoring homeostasis– Provides negative feedback for stress response



Neurobiology of Normal Stress Response

• Endogenous Opiates– Increases the pain threshold

• Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)– Web of feedback loops– During stress CRF increases turnover of NE– NE increases concentration of CRF in locus

coeruleus

• Serotonin– Appears to play a role in regulating the stress

response



Neurobiology of Stress Response

• How does the limbic system and cerebral corte process a stressful event?

• Thalamus / Hypothalamus

• Gateway to cortical processing of all incoming sensory information

• Somatosensory, auditory, and visual

– It relates information about threat to prefrontal cortex and amygdala



Neurobiology of Stress Response• Amygdala

– Limbic structure– Involved in :

• threat assessment• emotional learning • fear conditioning

– Attaches emotional significance to incoming stimuli

– Facilitates the fight or flight response– Also relays information to hippocampus, the

paralimbic system, and sensory processing systems



Neurobiology of Stress Response• Hippocampus

– Limbic structure– Involved in learning and memory

• Verbal information, events, places, and facts– Information is processed regarding one’s experience

and their current context– Information is then fed back to amygdala

• Anterior Cingulate Cortex– Part of paralimbic system– Sets priorities between emotional and cognitive

processes– Plays a role in inhibiting the amygdala and

facilitating the extinction of conditioned fear response



Neurobiology of PTSD

• Abnormalities in the sympathetic branch • Severe stress causes dysregulation of locus

coeruleus causing hypersensitivity to external stimuli

• Studies of combat veterans vs non-combat veterans– Differences in combat veterans– Increased heart rate and anxiety during

combat-related stimuli• Increased urinary excretion of NE in PTSD

patients




• Abnormalities of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA)

• In acute/chronic stress and major depression:– Cortisol levels are increased

• In PTSD, sensitization of HPA occurs– Cortisol levels are chronically decreased– Patients with PTSD show lover cortisol levels up

to 50 years after initial trauma• Lower cortisol levels immediately following

trauma can be a risk factor for developing PTSD at a later date




• Hippocampus

– MRI measurements have shown it to be smaller in patients with PTSD

– Correlates with severity of traumatic exposure, cognitive deficits, and PTSD symptoms




• Functional neuro-imaging while stimulating with traumatic material has shown:

– Hyperactive amygdala

– Anterior paralimbic regions are activated

– Decreased activity in anterior cingulate cortex

– Decreased blood flow to the hippocampus



Neurobiology of PTSD - Conclusion

• All this goes to show that in the model of PTSD

– Amygdala and related structures are overactive• Also known as “ hot and emotional” memory

system– Hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex is

underactive• Also known as “cool and cognitive” memory

system

Terrorism Typologies and Personalities



Definition of Terrorism

• ‘Terrorism’ - derives from the Latin ‘terrere’– Means to frighten

• There are different types of terrorism– Instrumental– Retribution



Instrumental Terrorism

• To force a group into taking some action or complying with a demand

• Example– National Republic Army’s desire to end British

control



Retribution Terrorism

• Perpetrators are primarily interested in destroying their enemies

• Target is hated not because of what they do but for the very fact that they exist

• Examples– Radical Islamic terrorists, White supremacists



The Terrorist Mind

• The terrorist mind uses 3 basic forms of rationalization:

– Rationalization #1

– No target population is entirely innocent, because they are evil by association with the enemy group



The Terrorist Mind

• Rationalization # 2

– Victims may be innocent, but war is hell, and in all noble struggles there is always collateral damage



The Terrorist Mind

• Rationalization #3

– The greater the number on innocent lives lost, the better

– Targeting innocent is not a side effect, but in fact is their goal



Comparing Psychological Profiles

• Street Criminal

– Decreased verbal IQ

– Poor planning– Frequent substance

abuse– Early

developmental antisocial pattern

• Political Terrorist

– Normal verbal IQ– Well-organized– Rare substance

abuse, if any– No such pattern

seen



Terrorist Typologies

• Crusaders

• Criminals

• Crazies




• Crusaders

– Most ideologically driven of terrorist

– Motivated by their devotion to their cause

– Example - Islamic Jihad, Neo-Nazism




• Criminals

– Essentially violent individuals

– In search of an excuse to express their antisocial impulses in the name of a ‘noble cause’




• Crazies

– May have some mental disorders

– They easily revert their loyalties to the group

– Result in dangerous instability in their commitment and behavior



Secret Service Profiles of Terrorists

• Crusading Terrorists– Ideologically motivated by their religion or

political convictions

• Ultraconservative Political Terrorist– They believe in individual rights over the

repressive or ultraliberal government– Often involved in militia groups



Secret Service Profiles of Terrorists

• Religious Terrorists– Believe that they are accountable to no one

but God– Therefore justify killing in His name and for His

purpose

• Criminal Terrorist– More of an opportunist than an idealist – Act for personal gain rather than for a cause



Terrorist Personalities: Traits, Types, and Disorders

• Theories behind terrorism have either:– Completely ignored individual psychological

factors– Conceptualized the terrorist mind as mentally

disturbed

• Psychological insight into personality theory




• APA defines personality disorder as:

– “An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment”




• There are 10 different personality disorders, divided into 3 categories

• Terrorist leaders tend to have a narcissistic or paranoid personality disorder



Terrorist Personalities: Narcissistic Personality

• Traits include:– Grandiosity, entitlement, and arrogance– Need for admiration– Lack of empathy for others’ feelings and

opinions

• Classic terrorist leaders convinced of their own authority and infallibility

• Regard themselves as above the law



Terrorist Personalities:Paranoid Personality

• Traits include:– Pervasive distrust and suspiciousness– Others’ actions and motives are almost

invariably interpreted as deceptive, persecutory, or malevolent

• Philosophy here is to have a racial or religious exclusionary focus



Terrorist Personalities: True Believers and Unstable Deceivers• Borderline Personality• Traits include:

– Erratic and intense relationships– Alternates between over-idealization and and

devaluation of others– Self-damaging impulsiveness– Emotional instability– Inappropriately intense anger and/or mood swings– Chronic feelings of emptiness

• This may lead to the quest for stimulation through provocation or escalation of conflict



Terrorist Personalities: Borderline Personality

• They form powerful allegiances to group leaders and ideologies

• But their behavioral patterns of changeability makes them unreliable long-term loyalists

• Devotion to take great risks makes them useful for dangerous terrorist missions– Example - suicide bombers

• Unpredictability of their attachment may work to the advantage of law enforcement authorities



Terrorist Personalities: True Believers and Unstable Deceivers• Antisocial Personality• Traits include:

– Consistent disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others

– Impulsivity– Criminal behaviors– Sexual promiscuity– Substance abuse– Parasite and/or predatory lifestyle

• May possess some similar qualities of entitlement ad self-importance as a narcissist



Terrorist Personalities: Antisocial Personality vs. others• However, antisocials have a complete lack of

empathy and conscience• Often become skilled assassins and bombers of

their group• Unlike narcissists and paranoid types, they are

not true loyalists– This is all a game for them!!

• When pressured by authorities they easily betray their group psychology to save their own skin– They are very manipulative so information has

to be checked carefully



Terrorist Personalities:Good Soldiers and Worker Bees• Avoidant personality • Traits include:

– Pattern of social inhibition– Feelings of inadequacy– Hypersensitivity to criticism

• Makes them feel important by the admiration from the people and fellow group members

• The organized and ideological certainty of these organizations provide them opportunities to work behind the scenes

• They are never on the front lines



Terrorist Personalities:True Believers and Unstable Deceivers

• Dependent personality

• Traits include:– Pattern of submissive and clinging behavior– Excessive need for care and nurturance

• They cling to others to receive guidance and direction



Terrorist Personalities: Dependent Personality

• A charismatic cult leader is the perfect object of their desire

• Their nature of being loyal and perseverance is very strong and is exploited by the terrorists

• Dependents and Borderline get their “meaning and validation” from these groups hence they are fiercely loyal



Terrorist Personalities:Limelight Seekers and Loose Cannons

• Histrionic Personality

• Traits include:– Pattern of excessive emotionality– Attention-seeking behaviors– Need for excitement– Flamboyant and theatrical in speech and

behavior– Impressionistic and impulsive



Terrorist Personalities: Histrionic Personality

• These are the “showboats” of any organization

• Enjoy being center of attention

• Terrorist organizations use them as the frontline in the legitimate worlds of entertainment, the media, and politics

• Hunger for recognition may make them change their loyalties – They can become a liability to the organization



Terrorist Personalities: Loose Cannons• Traits include:

– Pattern of severe deficits in social skills– Generalized withdrawal from life– Sometimes impairment in perceptual and cognitive

skills• Schizoid personality

– Detachment from social interaction – Restricted range of emotional expressions– They are happy when left by themselves

• Schizotypal personality– More serious disturbances of thinking and more

bizarre behavior



Terrorist Personalities:Schizoid and Schizotypal Personalities

• We think these two personality disorders really represent a point in a continuum from schizoid to schizotypal to outright schizophrenia

• Their psychology may lead them in a philosophical and spiritual quest that end up in a social and religious movement with terrorist ties

• They keep to themselves - but show fierce commitment



Terrorist Personalities: Conclusion

• Psychological principles will not in themselves solve all the problems of criminal and terrorist intelligence gathering

• Mastering of the practical psychology will give a peek into the mind of the terrorist/criminal

• Practical psychology is very important aspect of law enforcement and criminal justice

The End

Questions ??

psychology of bioterrorism sajjad zaidi, md monmouth medical center

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