A Reflection on the Theoretical Foundations of Cognitive Warfare Based on the Metasynthesis Method

Cognitive warfare is the product of the integration and convergence of emerging technologies that seek to change mental calculations. This warfare has various dimensions and levels, the analysis of each of which can help to understand it relatively. In this regard, the aim of this article is to explore the theoretical foundations of cognitive warfare in order to understand its various dimensions and layers. The research is of the metasynthesis type, which uses the seven-step method of Sandelowski and Barroso (2007) has used. In the first step, after identifying and determining the topic (cognitive warfare), the research questions were identified and then a systematic literature review was started. The sources found were examined in terms of title, abstract and text, and irrelevant articles and reports were removed. Initially, 78 sources were identified and then, in four stages and by removing irrelevant sources, 22 reliable sources were analyzed between 2022 and 2024, and the axes related to cognitive warfare and various research methods in this field were extracted in the form of statistical tables. Based on the findings, the theoretical foundations of cognitive warfare include: social sciences, behavioral sciences and psychological interventions, cognitive neuroscience, emerging technologies, information processing in decision-making, human-machine team building, cognitive warfare training, legal foundations, human sciences, politics/geopolitics/media, and the human realm (neuroscience). Also, based on the findings, the descriptive research method has been used in most of the articles. The results of the research show that cognitive warfare is an interdisciplinary phenomenon in which new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are widely used in this war.