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Cultic Studies Review,  Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002

 

The Death of a Leader: Homicide as a Means of Group Disengagement

Janet Haines, Ph.D.

School of Psychology

University of Tasmania

Australia

Christopher L. Williams, Ph.D.

School of Psychology

University of Tasmania

Australia

Ian Sale, FRANZCP

Discipline of Psychiatry

University of Tasmania

Australia

Jodi Glading, B.S., John Davidson, Ph.D.

School of Psychology

University of Tasmania

Australia

 

Abstract

 

This paper presents a single case study of a cult group member who murdered the group leader as a means of escaping the group. The authors undertook an assessment to examine the pre-homicide and peri-homicide factors that influenced the individual’s homicidal behavior, in an endeavor to establish this man’s motive for ending the group leader’s life. The authors administered psychological tests to assess the individual’s intellectual functioning, psychological adjustment, and group psychological abuse. In addition, they employed a personalized guided-imagery methodology to recreate the homicidal act so that they could examine the individual’s stage-by-stage psychophysiological and psychological responses to the behavior. They then made a comparison of the individual’s responses to the homicidal act with his responses to other control scenes to establish the differential influences operating at the time of the homicide. The results of the research highlight the influences of psychological manipulation and the constriction of problem-solving options that can operate as a function of cult-group membership.

Full text available through ICSA E-Library.


Other contributions by author(s)

Haines, Janet et al.: "The Death of a Leader: Homicide as a Means of Group Disengagement" - abstract

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