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The Psychology of State-Sponsored Disinformation Campaigns and Implications for Public Diplomacy

In: The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
Authors:
Erik C. Nisbet School of Communication and Political Science (by courtesy), and Eurasian Security and Governance Program, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43201 United States

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Olga Kamenchuk Eurasian Security and Governance Program, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 43201 United States

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Online Publication Date:
22 Apr 2019
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Summary

Policy discourse about disinformation focuses heavily on the technological dimensions of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns. Unfortunately, this myopic focus on technology has led to insufficient attention being paid to the underlying human factors driving the success of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns. Academic research on disinformation strongly suggests that belief in false or misleading information is driven more by individual emotional and cognitive responses — amplified by macro social, political and cultural trends — than specific information technologies. Thus, attention given to countering the distribution and promulgation of disinformation through specific technological platforms, at the expense of understanding the human factors at play, hampers the ability of public diplomacy efforts countering it. This article addresses this lacuna by reviewing the underlying psychology of three common types of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns and identifying lessons for designing effective public diplomacy counter-strategies in the future.

Title:
The Psychology of State-Sponsored Disinformation Campaigns and Implications for Public Diplomacy
Article Type:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11411019
Language:
English
Pages:
65–82
Keywords:
public diplomacy; disinformation; misinformation; corrective strategies; adversarial information campaigns; fake news; information technology; strategic communication
In:
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
In:
Volume 14: Issue 1-2
Received:
29 Jun 2018
Accepted:
26 Nov 2018
Publisher:
Brill | Nijhoff
E-ISSN:
1871-191X
Print ISSN:
1871-1901
Subjects:
International Relations, International Relations, Economics & Political Science, Social Sciences

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