Terrorism resists a single psychological explanation because it takes many forms

Evidence

In order to generalize about psychological influences on terrorism, one must take into account the diversity and variation of the phenomenon. One reason for the imprecision or bias of many definitions of terrorism is that the activity assumes different forms. For instance, terrorists claim to be inspired by ideological goals ranging from social revolution or national self-determination to reactionary or conservative defense of the status quo. Terrorist organizations range in structure from extremely hierarchical and centralized, with rigid role distinctions, to a decentralized or anarchical model. Terrorist strategies vary in degree of selectivity in targeting and in preferences for specific methods; some involve bargaining with governments by seizing hostages, while others are designed only for immediate effect. Some terrorists choose to operate on an international scale, while others restrict themselves to their domestic sur-roundings. Terrorist modes of operation change constantly, often as a result of technological opportunities or government pressures. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4075

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes that any definition of terrorism must accommodate its internal diversity across ideology, structure, strategy, and scale.
• XREF: connects to: Terrorists are rarely psychopathological, and labeling them so evades political questions — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 4088; Civil war and terror are causally heterogeneous across regimes, defying single theories — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 789