Allison G. Smith - The Relationship Between Rhetoric and Terrorist Violence

Studies have demonstrated that choices in the use of language convey information that goes beyond the content of the words themselves. In many cases, how something is said matters as much as what is said. Using techniques collectively referred to as linguistic content analysis, researchers have studied topics ranging from how to identify if individuals are lying, to whether there are particular characteristics associated with leaders who take their nations to war. This book presents findings from a research effort funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, which examined whether linguistic content analysis can indicate whether groups will engage in terrorist violence. Specifically, this project brought together several researchers who have developed manual and automated coding systems to analyse documents issued by Central al Qa'ida and al Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, and two non-terrorist comparison groups. The purpose was to test whether linguistic content analysis can first, distinguish the language of terrorist groups from that of non terrorist groups and second, provide indicators of imminent terrorist attacks.

This book was originally published as a Special Issue of Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict.

Allison G. Smith , Ph.D., is a social scientist at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate, where she manages social and behavioural science research efforts. The views expressed in this publication should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the policies, views or opinions, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Edited by
Allison G. Smith

First published 2013

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This book is a reproduction of Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , Vol. 4, Issue 2. The Publisher requests to those authors who may be citing this book to state, also, the bibliographical details of the special issue on which the book was based.

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ISBN 13: 978-0-415-82360-9

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Publisher's Note
The publisher would like to make readers aware that the chapters in this book may be referred to as articles as they are identical to the articles published in the special issue. The publisher accepts responsibility for any inconsistencies that may have arisen in the course of preparing this volume for print.

The chapters in this book were originally published in Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011). When citing this material, please use the original page numbering for each article, as follows:

The relationship between rhetoric and terrorist violence: Introduction Allison G. Smith Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 85-91

Using computer analyses to identify language style and aggressive intent: The secret life of function words James W. Pennebaker Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 92-102

Violent frames in action Antonio Sanfilippo, Liam McGrath and Paul Whitney Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 103-112

The rhetoric of Islamic activism: A DICTION study Roderick P. Hart and Colene J. Lind Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 113-125

Leadership, terrorism, and the use of violence Margaret G. Hermann and Azamat Sakiev Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 126-134

Anticipating attacks from the operational codes of terrorist groups Stephen G. Walker Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 135-143

Scoring motive imagery in documents from four Middle East opposition groups David G. Winter Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 144-154

The hidden implications of radical group rhetoric: Integrative complexity and terror- Lucian Gideon Conway III, Laura Janelle Gornick, Shannon Houck, Kirsten Hands Towgood and Kathrene R. Conway Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 155-165

Scoring universal values in the study of terrorist groups and leaders Peter Suedfeld and Jelena Brcic Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 166-174

The terrorist rhetorical style and its consequences for understanding terrorist violence Lucian Gideon Conway III and Kathrene R. Conway Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict , volume 4, issue 2 (July 2011) pp. 175-192

Allison G. Smith
Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC, USA

This introduction describes the project that generated the nine papers included in this special issue. It discusses the projects overall goal to examine the relationship between group rhetoric and terrorist violence using linguistic content analysis and the data that were analyzed. It then concludes with a brief overview of the special issue.

The last few years have seen social and behavioral science researchers using increasingly sophisticated methods to study terrorism. Rigorous qualitative and quantitative approaches from a wide range of disciplines have contributed to our understanding of the contexts, characteristics, motivations, and behaviors of groups that engage in terrorism. This special issue focuses on the application of one type of method - linguistic content analysis - to explore the relationship between the rhetoric of groups and their likelihood of engaging in terrorist violence. The findings discussed in the following papers suggest that this relationship can - and should be - examined.