Terror, Adaptation and Preparedness: A Trilogy for Survival

The object of terror is to socially and politically destabilize nations. Terror, like other forms of disaster, should trigger adaptation behaviors that would ameliorate its threat and consequences. To assess this argument, data from an Israeli national household survey was analyzed to explore adaptation behaviors associated with Arab terror attacks on Israeli civilians. Background data revealed the extensive impact and affect of terror on changing behavior. A theoretical model was then developed centering on adaptive terror preparedness (ATP), composed of 49 separate terror related behavioral changes. A factor analysis generated eight adaptation factors: avoidance, religiousness, professional help, insurance, information, future plans, coping and protective actions. Regression models run against each of the ATP components showed each adaptation component was uniquely determined by a specific set of variables and that socio-demographic characteristics were the key predictors of each adaptation component. These results support the notion that the survival strategy against terrorism, like many other types of disasters, has been behavioral adaptation. Such adaptation is, for the most part, reflected by the cognitive acceptance that terror was and can be expected to continue to be part of daily life.