We don’t often run such items but the info graphic below nicely summarizes the art and history of psychological operations, though it doesn’t touch on the newer aspects of the art — social media and data mining. (After all knowing details of your target audience — age, sex, location, etc. — and influencing its actions are key to all this.)

It’s a fine reminder of some of the less often-covered aspects of the military art that can heavily influence the outcome of both wars and and battles. As the conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq morph, you can bet the battle for hearts and minds will intensify, even if it’s not directly in support of US troops fighting an enemy on the battlefield.

To get a better look at the current context of interagency and military PsyOps operations, you might want to read the latest Joint doctrine publication on Military Information Support Operations. Check out page II-9 for an elucidation of the various roles undertaken by the military, State Department and intelligence agencies.

Source: Online-Psychology-Degree.com