MAJOR EFFECTS OF PSYOPS ON MILITARY ACTIONS

Abstract

Day by day, the international environment shows that psychological operations (PSYOPS) are absolutely essential in order to achieve success in a modern military operation. PSYOPS are less expensive than other military actions but can have long lasting effects. They could be used for both defense and attack and for other operations during crises or peace time. With respect to what I previously stated, the results of a psychological campaign are not instantly obvious, they cannot be scientifically evaluated and measured and are not immediate. Furthermore, these effects of psychological action are difficult to assess mathematically, with the exception of those situations when urging the enemy to surrender. Forcing procedures in an effort to produce faster and more convincing results of a psychological campaign may inadvertently lead to saturation, intoxication, and also to an aggressive campaign which sometimes could be too much for both the intentional real target audience and the unintentional one. This could easily generate a boomerang effect with unwanted or disastrous results for the originator.

Keywords

• psychological operations
• major effects
• boomerang effect