Terrorism’s psychological impact depends on perceived intentionality and random anonymity

Evidence

Freedman (1983, pp. 399–400) has proposed a theoretical framework, a “model of terroristic resonance,” to solve what he considers a significant puzzle. The reaction to terrorism depends on the audience’s perception of the terrorist as single-minded, willful, fearless, and unremorseful. Terrorism must be seen as violence of human agency. Terrorist acts appear to the audience as anonymous, sudden, and random. The awareness of vulnerability undermines the victim’s sense of autonomy and security. In this way terrorism arouses awe, anxiety, and a mystical dread. The id seems to be assaulting the superego, evoking infantile apprehensions. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4168

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the ‘model of terroristic resonance’ — the audience-response mechanism by which terrorism works as a psychological rather than physical weapon.
• XREF: This causal chain (perceived intent + randomness + vulnerability undermining autonomy) connects to the noise-as-danger-signal fear-response literature — both treat threat perception as an evolved alarm.