Psychological operations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychological Operations (PSYOP,PSYOPS) are techniques used by military and police forces to influence a target audience's emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and behavior. Target audiences can be governments, organizations, groups, and individuals, and are used in order to induce confessions, or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to the originator's objectives. These are sometimes combined with black operations or false flag tactics.
This concept has been used by military institutions throughout history, but it is only since the twentieth century that it has been accorded the organizational and professional status it enjoys now.
Contents |
[edit] Germany
In the German Bundeswehr, the Zentrum Operative Information and its subordinated Bataillon für Operative Information 950 are responsible for the PSYOP efforts (called Operative Information in German). Both the center and the battalion are subordinate to the new Streitkräftebasis (Joint Services Support Command, SKB) and together consist of about 1,000 soldiers specialising in modern communication and media technologies. One project of the German PSYOP forces is the radio station Stimme der Freiheit (Voice of Freedom), heard by thousands of Afghans. Another is publication of various newspapers and magazines in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
[edit] United Kingdom
In the British Armed Forces, PSYOPS are handled by the tri-service 15 Psychological Operations Group.
[edit] United States
The purpose of United States psychological operations (PSYOP) is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to U.S. objectives. In the United States Department of Defense, dedicated Psychological Operations units exist only in the Army. However, the United States Navy also plans and executes limited PSYOP missions.
Unlike some countries, United States PSYOP units and soldiers of all branches of the military are prohibited by law from conducting PSYOP missions on domestic audiences. While PSYOP soldiers may offer non-PSYOP related support to domestic military missions, PSYOP can only target foreign audiences. Though, it is worth noting that this does not rule out PSYOP targeting foreign audiences of allied nations.
Within the U.S. Psychological Operations community, PSYOPS is generally considered to be an incorrect abbreviation. The preferred abbreviation is PSYOP. This is due to the word "Operations" already being plural and so adding a "s" to PSYOP is redundant.[citation needed]
During the Waco Siege, the FBI and BATF conducted psychological operations on the men, women and children inside the Mount Carmel complex. This included using loud speakers to play sounds of animals being slaughtered, drilling noises and clips from talk shows about how David Koresh was much hated. In addition, very bright, flashing lights were used at night.
[edit] See also
- Psychological warfare
- Information warfare
- Propaganda
- Psychological operations (United States)
- 15 Psychological Operations Group (British Armed Forces)
- Political Warfare Executive
- Psychological Warfare Division
[edit] External links
- PsyWar.Org — Psychological Operations and Black Propaganda The history of psychological warfare / PSYOP with an extensive library of aerial propaganda leaflets.
- Psywarrior
- IWS — The Information Warfare Site
- U.S. — PSYOP producing mid-eastern kids comic book
- The Institute of Heraldry — Psychological Operations
- OSS — Development of Psychological Warfare (WWII)
- Clandestine Radio
