Psychological warfare

In terms of conflicts, psychological warfare (PSYWAR) is used "to denote any action which is practiced mainly by psychological methods with the aim of evoking a planned psychological reaction in other people."

In military conflicts it is often also known as PSYOP, Psy Ops and "winning the hearts and minds". In military and political conflicts it is often referred to as propaganda.

Psychological warfare is used to influence a target audience's values, beliefs, emotions, motives, reasoning, or behavior. For example, it is often used to destroy/lower the morale of enemies. The Tokyo Rose broadcasts are an example of psychological warfare being used to lower the morale of American troops during WWII.

Quote

"If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him." - Sun Tzu

See also

• List of military strategies and concepts
• CCP propaganda war