The language of violence: distinguishing terrorist from nonterrorist groups by thematic content analysis

Abstract

This study examined whether quantitative content analysis of the value references, motive imagery, and integrative complexity expressed in the documents of two terrorist groups and two nonterrorist comparison groups could distinguish the violent groups from their nonviolent counterparts. The two terrorist groups were Central al Qa'ida and al Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula. For each, a comparison group that operated in the same context and had a similar ideology but did not engage in terrorist violence was chosen. Statistical analyses revealed that, compared with their nonterrorist counterparts, both terrorist groups described themselves by using more positive morality, religion, and aggression value references, and described their enemies by using more negative religion value references (e.g., references to being infidels). Relative to their nonviolent comparison groups, terrorist groups also used more power, ingroup affiliation, and achievement motive imagery, and expressed lower levels of integrative complexity.