Cooking up Psychological Operations: The Ingredients of Successful PSYOP
Abstract
Psychological Operations (PSYOP) have been integral to U.S. military operations in times of war and peace. Using radio broadcasts, leaflets, loudspeakers, and other forms of media, the United States has used PSYOP to influence the behavior of a target audience (TA) by influencing their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning in support of U.S. national aims and objectives. During war, tactical PSYOP is used to lower an enemy's will to fight, and ultimately lead it to surrender. Academics and practitioners have written a large body of literature over the last 70 years that addresses both successful and unsuccessful PSYOP. There also has been a large body of literature written about communication theory. What the literature fails to do, though, is to address the important linkage between PSYOP and communication theory and how the relationship between the two affects the success or failure of PSYOP. Drawing from communication theory literature, this thesis builds a model for evaluating PSYOP products during the development phase. The thesis then applies this PSYOP model to Psychological Operations during the 1950-1953 Korean War, in an attempt to identify the conditions under which PSYOP products are crafted and deployed successfully.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA547748
Entities
People
- Bret M. Bemis
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School