A Practical Guide to Persuasion in Psychological Operations

This paper is an overview of the issues related to persuasion and influence. Surveying persuasion process, it discusses examples of the success or failure of this process. Then, some practical recommendations related to target audience analysis are offered. This requires identification and refinement of the features and characteristics of target audience such as ensuring the highest level of possible homogeneity among target audience. Evaluation of the capacity of target audience for demonstrating the desired behavior change is also necessary. Therefore, understanding the attitudes, beliefs and values of target audience is considered an important part of target audience analysis, which has been neglected in the literature of psychological operations. Furthermore,based on the conditions and vulnerabilities of target audience, the best way to achieve persuasion has been analyzed. The general rationale is the important role target audience plays when designing persuasive messages regardless of whether a deep or shallow processing of target audience is made. Finally, the characteristicsof persuasive messages are examined and, depending on capacity and motivation of target audience, the techniques for fabricating influential messages are reviewed. To design messages appropriately, one needs to consider their potential ability to influence a target audience.