González Irene, Moyano Manuel, Lobato Roberto M, Trujillo Humberto M
Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
Department of Psychology, Marbella International University Centre, Marbella, Spain.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 23;13:789051. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.789051. eCollection 2022.
Radicalization leading to violence is a complex social process that frequently targets young people. In this study, we examine the 17-A cell, which carried out terrorist attacks in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cambrils on August 17, 2017. We focus on the psychological manipulation techniques used to radicalized members of the cell.
Using deductive content analysis, we examined the judicial order of the National High Court related to "Operation Ramblas" and the police proceedings of Cuerpo de Mossos d'Esquadra (CME) associated with the Barcelona and Cambrils attacks. Our goal was to determine whether psychological manipulation was used on the cell members and, if so, how frequently.
Our results suggest that different psychological manipulation techniques were used on the 17-A cell members to facilitate their use of ideological violence. The most frequent strategies were cognitive control (control of attention, group identification, and denigration of critical thinking), environmental control (control of information), and emotional control (authoritarian leadership).
This study provides evidence that psychological manipulation techniques were used in the radicalization of 17-A cell members. The results are discussed in the context of previous research on the psychology of violent extremism and terrorism. We highlight the need for prevention and psychosocial interventions to steer young people away from violent extremism.
导致暴力的激进化是一个复杂的社会过程，经常以年轻人为目标。在本研究中，我们考察了于2017年8月17日在西班牙巴塞罗那和坎布里尔斯市实施恐怖袭击的“17-A组织”。我们聚焦于该组织用于使成员激进化的心理操纵技巧。
运用演绎性内容分析法，我们研究了与“兰布拉行动”相关的国家高等法院司法令以及与巴塞罗那和坎布里尔斯袭击案相关的加泰罗尼亚警察部队（CME）的警方程序。我们的目标是确定是否对该组织成员使用了心理操纵手段，若使用了，其频率如何。
我们的结果表明，对“17-A组织”成员使用了不同的心理操纵技巧，以促使他们实施意识形态暴力。最常见的策略是认知控制（注意力控制、群体认同以及对批判性思维的诋毁）、环境控制（信息控制）和情绪控制（威权领导）。
本研究提供了证据，证明心理操纵技巧被用于“17-A组织”成员的激进化过程。研究结果在先前关于暴力极端主义和恐怖主义心理学的研究背景下进行了讨论。我们强调需要进行预防和社会心理干预，以使年轻人远离暴力极端主义。
