The Impact of Terrorism on Public Opinion and Psychosocial Adjustment

Abstract

Most contemporary definitions agree that the main goal of terrorism is to intimidate civilians and, thereby, influence national policy. I attempt to evaluate whether terrorists have achieved their goal by examining research on the impact of terrorism on public opinion and psychosocial adjustment. After distinguishing 21st-century terrorism from past terrorism, I conclude that existing evidence of terrorism’s impact may have limited utility in predicting the impact offuture terrorist attacks.