Understanding the Personality and the Motivations of the True Believer Terrorist

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023 Discipline: Psychology

Research + Writing Activity


From Karl Menninger to Theodor Reik to Eric Hoffer to J. Reid Meloy: Understanding
the Personality and the Motivations of the True Believer Terrorist
This Research + Writing Activity revolves around the history of the psychology literature on the personality and the motivation of “true believer terrorists.”

(1) Eric Hoffer (1902-1983): The True Believer (1951)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfEAhUlMjfo
Watch the youtube video about Erich Hoffer’s theories of The True Believer.
As you view this video, create a bulleted outline of Hoffer’s ideas about true believers (with a brief note about each idea that will be a very useful aid for including this material in your paper).
(3) Prepare a solid intellectually written five-page essay (plus cover page and References page) in APA Style in which you explain the differences in personality and in “true belief” between the
two terrorists: Timothy McVeigh and Mohamed Attah.
A. Provide and explain the three characteristics of the martyr that Karl Menninger (1938)
enumerated. 
B. Provide and explain the three factors in the relationship between masochism and
martyrdom that Theodor Reik (1941) enumerated. 
C. Provide and explain the relevant characteristics of the “true believer” as posited by Eric Hoffer (1951). 
D. Provide a concise, but relevant biography of Timothy McVeigh. 
(3) Prepare a solid intellectually written five-page essay (plus cover page and References page)
in APA Style in which you explain the differences in personality and in “true belief” between the
two terrorists: Timothy McVeigh and Mohamed Attah.
o What were his motivations?
o How did he become a “terrorist”? 
E. Provide a concise, but relevant biography of Mohamed Attah.
o What were his motivations?
o How did he become a “terrorist”?E. Provide a concise, but relevant biography of Mohamed Attah. 
F. Timothy McVeigh and Mohamed Attah were different individuals from different
backgrounds. Did one or both become a “true believer”? Yes?/ No? Carefully explain.
G. Timothy McVeigh and Mohamed Attah were different individuals from different backgrounds. Do you agree or disagree with Meloy’s (2004) assessments of these
individuals? Yes? /No? Carefully explain. 
H. Your essay should clearly demonstrate the critical consideration and integration of the information about “true believers” from the video and the historical and contemporary ninformation about the understanding of terrorists that was provided by Meloy (2004). It should refer to both media and provide appropriate in-text citations when doing so. 

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