Other Terrorisms, Psychology, and Media

Abstract

During the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines, relatives of political prisoners wore T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Who is the real terrorist?" After September 11, 2001, as talk about terrorism takes center stage on global discourse, we pose a similar question: What is terrorism? Carrying the query further, we ask the following: Does Post's (this issue) discussion of terrorism render full meaning to the term and include an exhaustive list of terrorist typologies? We think not. We note that the cognitive processes of naming, meaning, and categorization are context-dependent, and-intentionally or unintentionally-laden with social values, motives, and interests carried by the society from which they emerge (Duncan, 1968; Forgas, 1981; Moscovici, 1981; Tajfel & Forgas, 1981). We contend that Post's implied meaning and categorization of terrorism remain incomplete, reflecting only social cognitions emanating from a U.S. view of geopolitics. We write this piece to expand the meaning and categories of terrorism. We likewise point out that global mass media abets the propagation of culture-bounded, incomplete views of the meaning and categories of terrorism.