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The authors of Behavioural Conflict – Tatham, Mackay & Rowland – recently published the paper ‘The Effectiveness of US Military Information Operations in Afghanistan 2001-2010: Why RAND missed the point’ (available here). Clear in its assumptions and sharp in its criticisms, it has created considerable buzz in the influence community.

Yet it is not the only recent review of US influence efforts. As the previous title alludes, one of the other major recent reviews was Arturo Munoz’s study for the RAND Corporation, ‘U.S. Military Information Operations in Afghanistan: Effectiveness of Psychological Operations 2001-2010’ (available here). Also published in 2012 was William McCants’ study, ‘Science and Technology for Communication and Persuasion Abroad: Gap Analysis and Survey’, which was Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office, Emerging Capabilities Division (available here).

Two older studies are also useful. One is the 2009 ‘Strategic Communication Science and Technology Plan: Current Activities, Capability Gaps and Areas for Further Investment’ (available here), which was the predecessor of the McCants review, and Christopher Lamb’s 2005 study, ‘Review of Psychological Operations Lessons Learned from Recent Operational Experience’ (available here).

If we have missed any major reviews, please get in touch and we will collect them here.

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The goal of the BDI has been to assemble and assimilate the full extent of creative and scientific knowledge on group behaviour and the dynamics of change. Read more

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The Behavioural Dynamics Institute (BDI) was founded in 1989 and was formed out of the Behavioural Dynamics Working Group. Read more