An Analysis Method in Psychological Operations Intelligence: Target Audience Analysis

30.01.2023 | Ediz EKİNCİ

Psychological operations are the activities carried out to change the emotions, thoughts, attitudes and behaviors of the individual, group or populace, selected as the target. The basis of “Psychological Operations” is intelligence. Without adequate and detailed intelligence, it is not possible to determine the psychological operation’s targets and it is not possible for a given mission to be planned and executed. During the psychological operations decision-making process, a proportionally large part of psychological operations intelligence is actually nothing more than “Target Audience Analysis” at all stages - from assuming the task to giving the operation order. Target audience analysis, on the other hand, can only make limited contributions without a testing and evaluation process. Reinforcing the success achieved, both in order to organize a campaign suitable for the target audience before starting the psychological operations activities, and what the degree of success is after the activities are carried out. All that needs to be done in order to re-process the necessary feedback information to attain the unachievable targets and to achieve the task ordered by the commander can only be accomplished through testing and evaluation process. Target audience analysis and testing and evaluation process are inseparable parts of each other. The output of one is the input of the other, and while the process continues, this input is processed and is the input of the first one again as an output. The purpose of this review article is to examine the target audience analysis method as the analysis method of intelligence needed within the scope of psychological operations activities.

Ekinci, E. (2023). An Analysis Method in Psychological Operations Intelligence: Target Audience Analysis. Journal of Intelligence Research and Studies, 2(1), pp.82-108, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/icad.12