Influence Campaign

An influence campaign is a type of psychological warfare; it is a multi-pronged attack, which utilizes some or all of the terms defined in this glossary.

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Speculative Belief Insertion

Speculative Belief Insertion is a psychological warfare tactic used to insert conspiracy theories into a target’s mind. When there is a vacuum of information, when a person lacks any information available heuristically, a bad actor can insert propaganda. Often, the belief is negative and aimed at destabilization and chaos. 

Misinformation Attack

A misinformation attack is the deliberate spread of misinformation used to attack an opponent. The weaponization of gossip and lies to destabilize and confuse your adversary.

Ex) Don’t forget to vote on New Year’s Day. (For Americans, we mostly vote in November. This statement is designed to inflict harm—missing your opportunity to vote.)

Buyer's Test

The Buyer’s Test posits that a lie must be believable enough before someone will buy it. It can’t be too ridiculous, or the target won’t accept it as truth. It also can’t be too innocuous; otherwise, it won’t have any impact. There is no point in buying something that is useless.

Schrödinger Attack

A Schrödinger Attack is a psychological warfare tactic used to enrage your opposition by asserting two things that are contradictory to one another. The name is derived from a thought experiment proposed by Erwin Schrödinger, something can’t be in two different states at the same time—a cat can’t be both alive and dead.

With a Schrödinger Attack, things can be both true and false—a move that infuriates your opposition because of the logic-defying assertion. Additionally, it feeds the manic supporters the red meat they want, and they get three doses of dopamine if they ignore the logical impossibilities—something they readily do.

A Spade's Defense

A Spade’s Defense is a psychological warfare tactic that is used to overwhelm your opposition with illogic.It is so named because it turns reasoned debate on its head. No longer do the ordinary rules prevail—no longer does an Ace beat a King. Once you play a Spade, once you throw the trump card, chaos ensues because the game now follows a different set of rules. It is similar to a Schrödinger Attack in that it is nonsensical and illogical. Where it differs is that it can magically cover any attempt to correct the record.

Oliver Shift

An Oliver Shift is a maneuver used to intentionally shift the discussion away from the topic at hand to a more polarizing issue. Often used when an opponent is losing an argument, so they shift to an issue where they have the “high” ground. Named after Oliver because he shifts the conversation into the gutter. (See also, red herrings).

Disinformation

Disinformation: in this author’s view, an unhelpful label that does not convey the severity of the malicious intent. Instead, this author proposes we adopt a more suitable term—misinformation attack.