Cognitive Dissonance, the Need to Belong, and Mass Murder

On Thursday, November 5, 2009, Major Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 29 others at Fort Hood in Texas. Since then, there has been much speculation as to why he behaved as he did. Some of the more prominent explanations include post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of working with combat veterans, harassment from fellow soldiers because he is an Arab and a Muslim, dissatisfaction with the Army, depression, and distress caused by his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Of course, there are many causes of aggression, including biological factors (such as increased testosterone levels, ingestion of alcohol, and stimulation of the amygdala), psychological factors (including discomfort, frustration, and punishment), and social factors (such as exclusion, rejection, and taunting). In Hasan's case, social causes seem to be especially important. In particular, he seems to have suffered from social isolation, harassment, and cognitive dissonance.

The need to belong is a "powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation" (Baumeister & Leary, p. 497). Many studies suggest that we have a drive to "form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships" (p. 497). In particular, we need frequent interaction and persistent caring. A lack of belongingness, caused by rejection or social isolation, is associated with emotional distress, mental and physical illness, suicide, crime, and aggression. According to some who knew him, Hasan was a loner, with few friends and weak family ties. He wanted a devout wife, but had not found one. As a Muslim and an Army Major, he seems to have had strong opinions about the War on Terror, and he argued with fellow soldiers about U.S. foreign policy. Consequently, he felt harassed and rejected.

People also have a strong need to maintain a positive self-concept. Given his conflicting beliefs and roles (e.g., as a Muslim and an Army officer), it seems likely that Hasan experienced cognitive dissonance. As Festinger (1957) and his colleagues pointed out, dissonance is most likely to occur when a person's self-concept is threatened and they have made a commitment that is active, effortful, public, and voluntary (Cialdini, 2009). Under these conditions, behavior or attitude change, that reduces the dissonance, is likely to occur. According to a former classmate, Dr. Val Finnell, Hasan was vocal about his belief that the war on terror was in fact a war on Islam. Not only would such statements undermine his relationships with other soldiers, but they would likely contribute to his growing dissonance. In Hasan's case, this may have caused him to disidentify with the Army and become even more extreme in his attitudes and behaviors. In order to find support for his increasingly radical beliefs, Hasan may have tried to contact al-Qaeda.

Now that Hasan is conscious, he will continue to make sense of what he has done. Cognitive dissonance theory might lead us to predict that, because of the severity of his attack and the fact that it was planned, he is unlikely to feel regret or remorse for his victims. Rather, he might blame them, the Army, and the United States, for his actions. In addition, Hasan might be more committed to his cause than he was before the attack. He has already been congratulated online by Anwar al-Awlaki, an Islamic extremist. Perhaps now Hasan has the acceptance and self-concept he was seeking all along.

Baumeister, R. & Leary, M. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529.

Cialdini, R. (2009). Influence: Science and practice (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.