News Science Quarterly (NS)

News Science Quarterly (NS)

Cognitive Warfare; A New Arena in Political Communication

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hatef Pourrashidi 1
Javad Alipoor 2
1 Assistent Professor, Department of Communications, University of Religions & Denominations, Qom, Iran. E-mail: h.pourrashidi@urd.ac.ir
2 Corresponding author, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: alipor@tabrizu.ac.ir
10.22034/lrsi.2024.479537.1255
Abstract
Objective: This article scrutinizes the role of cognitive warfare as an example of soft power in political communication.
Methods: The research method of this article is secondary analysis as a qualitative method, in which existing data are used to answer the new questions of the research. The method of secondary analysis is carried out in several stages: In the first stage, the research objectives were identified. In the second stage, existing data were searched, and in the third stage, the quality of the existing data was evaluated. In the fourth stage, among the existing data, approximately twenty articles and books were selected as appropriate data in the fields of media, soft power, political communication, and cognitive warfare. In the fifth stage, these data were evaluated and finally, conclusions were drawn by analyzing and interpreting the data.
Results: Cognitive warfare is a new concept in interdisciplinary studies of cognitive science, communication, and political science. The emergence of this concept has transformed the views of thinkers and politicians about political communication. While political communication uses the cognitive effects of mass media to improve the relations between politicians, the public, and the media, cognitive warfare theorists have a similar goal; the main difference between them is the way within that they view and utilize the power of the media, the first seeks to create real and effective communication between the public and politicians through advertisement and accurate information, while the second attempts to exploit the communication gap between the rulers and the public and create conflict and destroy intellectual ties between the public and politicians.
Conclusion: Cognitive warfare is classified as a soft war to threat and influence public minds and opinions. In this war, the tools of cognitive science, new media technologies and artificial intelligence are used in order to smart manipulation and further destroying of minds and hearts. As a result, cognitive warfare is considered a new arena in political communication in which the media has acquired a cognitive function.
Keywords
Soft power
Nanotechnology
Mind Anesthesia
Media
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