Policy researchers and political scientists have struggled to understand terrorism, with traditional theories of international relations often unable to fully explain the actions of terrorists and terrorist organizations.   Psychology offers a different approach to the terrorist problem by trying to understand and profile the terrorist mind-set.  What can psychology tell us about the beliefs and motivations that drive the decisions of terrorists? Can we develop useful psychological profiles of these groups and individuals?   How can psychology help develop plausible strategies for combating terrorism at home and abroad? To discuss these questions and more, please join Dr. Jerrold Post, Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University and a 21 year veteran of the CIA.

To attend, please RSVP by writing to events@ypfp.org with your name and affiliation

Dr. Jerrold M. Post

Dr. Post has devoted his entire career to the field of political psychology. Dr. Post came to George Washington after a 21 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency where he founded and directed the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior, an interdisciplinary behavioral science unit which provided assessments of foreign leadership and decision making for the President and other senior officials to prepare for Summit meetings and other high level negotiations and for use in crisis situations. He played the lead role in developing the "Camp David profiles" of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat for President Jimmy Carter and initiated the U.S. government program in understanding the psychology of terrorism. In recognition of his leadership of the Center, Dr. Post was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit in 1979, and received the Studies in Intelligence Award in 1980. He received the Nevitt Sanford Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Political Psychology in 2002.

A founding member of the International Society of Political Psychology, Dr. Post was elected Vice-President in 1994, and has served on the editorial board of Political Psychology since 1987. A Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, he has been elected to the American College of Psychiatrists and is currently Chair, Task Force for National and International Terrorism and Violence for the APA. Dr. Post has published widely on crisis decision-making, leadership, and on the psychology of political violence and terrorism, and recently has been addressing weapons of mass destruction terrorism: psychological incentives and constraints, as well as information systems terrorism.

Dr. Post received his B.A. magna cum laude and M.D. from Yale. He received his post-graduate training in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Mental Health. He has also received graduate training at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.