Protection against Negative Information-Psychological Influences under the Conditions of Hybrid War

Abstract

The publication is devoted to the problems of individual protection from negative information-psychological influences, considering the phenomenon of
«hybrid war». The essence of the concepts «hybrid war» and «negative information-psychological (manipulative) influences» are revealed. It is substantiated that the concept of hybrid war has been used in the West military discourse for a long time where it is not considered something new and is widely known as «unconventional» war. It is noted that there are a lot of different ways of message dissemination in modern oversaturated society that influence personality’s consciousness. At the same time mass media are the most efficient instrument of information and psychological influence, that is why they are considered to be a part of strategic forces of informational confrontation. It is determined that the ability of the individual to counteract manipulative influences is understood as the implementation of anti-manipulative mechanisms (methods, technologies and techniques of psychological protection) on the basis of developed emotional-volitional stability, aimed at ensuring constructive personality’s behavior. The necessity of organizing protection against negative information-psychological influences at the social, group and personal levels is substantiated. It is noted that the media is the most effective tool for the implementation of information-psychological influence on large groups of people and therefore they can be considered part of the strategic forces of information confrontation. The main measures are determined to protect the population from such hidden influences, which should be implemented in the general system of information and propaganda support in order to form a stable and controlled moral and psychological state of the population and troops. It is substantiated that taking into account these levels, measures and other psychological prerequisites for combating manipulative influences, the individuals will be able to optimize their own anti-manipulative behavior and successfully organize psychological protection, which will ensure constructive behavior under any conditions.

Key words: hybrid war, information-psychological influence, psychological protection, manipulation, asymmetric confrontation.