News Release

Book Talk: Ben Sheppard on the Psychology of Terrorism  
 
You are cordially invited to attend a talk on Thursday, November 19, by Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Fellow Ben Sheppard, Ph.D., author of The Psychology of Strategic Terrorism: Public and Government Responses to Attack.  The program will be held at 3 pm at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in the M-level conference room, with wine and cheese to follow at 4.
In his talk, Dr. Sheppard will look at lessons learned from major terrorist attacks, with an eye to how the Obama administration might incorporate these into homeland security policy. Dr. Sheppard will explore how an interdisciplinary approach, combining the behavioral sciences and international relations, can further the understanding of the "terror" generated by strategic terrorism, and develop robust government responses.  
Dr. Sheppard will draw upon a series of contemporary case studies of the psychological and behavioral effects of terrorism. He will also examine how risk communication and public health strategies can amplify or reduce psychological and behavioral responses, and consider whether behavioral effects translate into political effects, and what governments can do to respond. Ultimately, Dr. Sheppard argues that the public is not prone to panic, but can change their behaviors to reduce their perceived risk of being exposed to a terrorist attack.
Please RSVP to Laurie Kinney at 703-525-0770 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.