PSYCHOLINGUISTICS IN THE CONCEPT OF TERRORISM

Abstract

The article discusses the communicative aspect of terrorism from a psycholinguistic perspective, with a specific focus on the strategic use of language for manipulating cognition, emotions, and behavioral responses. The research is based on the text-based analysis of the speeches, declarations, and messages of the terrorists. The study reveals that terrorism is not only a political act of violence but also a communicative act intended to influence various audiences. The study reveals that the terrorists’ messages contain persuasive, emotive, and coercive language strategies, with a specific emphasis on the repeated use of religious, moral, and ideological concepts such as God, jihad, martyrdom, freedom, and homeland. These concepts are shown to function as psychological stimuli that legitimize violence, create moral duty, and transform terrorists into victims or into defenders of justice. The article uses the comparison of various examples from different ideological and geographical contexts to show how terrorist discourse adapts to political contexts, yet always employs fear, absolutism, and moral polarization. The findings highlight the role of language in processes of radicalization and in the construction of terrorism as a psychological strategy rather than a violent one.