What Happened
Understanding Psychological Factors in Modern Conflict
Cognitive warfare and human security share important synergies, with both emphasizing the role of psychological factors in shaping behaviors and dynamics in the civilian environment. The human security paradigm could support understanding of how populations’ perceptions of human insecurities can play in shaping decisions and behaviors, and how these insecurities can be manipulated by adversaries. This essay argues that human security considerations should be incorporated into cognitive warfare defense, and provides a call-to-action for further consideration of the implications of this synergy at policy and operational levels, as reported by Small Wars Journal.