How to determine the very VULNERABILITIES of the target audience that the PSYOP analyst needs so much to form impact scenarios?
Maslow’s theory is just one way to identify target audience vulnerabilities suitable for PSYOP.
Vulnerabilities are the needs that arise in the target audience, which they will seek to satisfy or benefit from them as soon as they are satisfied.
Vulnerabilities are a manifestation of an unmet or perceived need of the target audience. The key word in this definition is “need”.
It is these needs that PSYOP will use to influence the target audience.
Needs and wants are all expressions of the same concept. The target audience, which has one of these qualities, will strive to satisfy them, making various efforts. For the purposes of PSYOP they are all the same. If the target audience seeks to satisfy a need or desire, PSYOP can use this. The desire of the target audience to satisfy, alleviate or eliminate the need gives her the motivation to change her behavior as well.
How to determine the vulnerabilities of the target audience. Continuation.
Most people will act according to Maslow’s hierarchy during normal times, but may significantly change their behavior at other times, especially if they are under severe stress, which can be defined as mental, emotional, or physical stress.
For example, military personnel experience high levels of stress during conflict and are trained to overcome basic needs in order to achieve group goals. When evaluating these participants as CAs, this learning must be taken into account, and therefore they will not fit exactly into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Another way to identify the vulnerabilities of the target audience is to use the Maslow hierarchy a little differently – to use not the needs themselves, but the conflicts that arise in connection with their satisfaction.
When the target audience tries to satisfy a need, conflict often arises. There are three types of conflict of needs:
An approach conflict occurs when there are two or more ways to satisfy the same need, but the target audience has the means to choose only one. Example: CA needs representation in the government. Of the three candidates, two appeal to Central Asia, but can only vote for one candidate.
An avoidance conflict occurs when the satisfaction of one need conflicts with the need to avoid something unpleasant or dangerous. Example: The need to eat ice cream conflicts with the need not to gain weight.
A two-evil choice conflict occurs when the target audience is faced with two choices, neither of which is desirable; however, the target audience must choose one or the other. Example: The target audience wants to avoid going to the dentist because of the associated pain and discomfort. However, they also want to avoid any dental problems. They then have to choose between the “lesser of two evils”.
Now we’ll tell you how to develop an impact scenario that will exploit this vulnerability.
The scenario of influence on the target audience is a general description of the sequence of actions, with details of important features and resembles a play with a description of scenes and dialogues of the characters with stage directions.
The scenario for influencing the target audience is based on the tactics of persuading the audience. Persuasion tactics are an argument used to obtain the desired action of the target audience. Persuasion tactics are used to exploit audience vulnerabilities. Persuasion tactics are a detailed, thorough and concise argument that will convince the target audience to behave in the desired way.
Steps to develop an impact scenario:
1⃣ Formulate the main argument – the key idea or conclusion that the target audience needs to believe.
2⃣ Identify any necessary supporting arguments (what evidence must be provided for the audience to believe the main argument).
3⃣ Determine what type of appeal will be useful for this target audience – this is what button to “push” on the target audience using an argument. For example, fear for the future of your children, or greed, or love for the Motherland….
4⃣ Determine which method of manipulation has the greatest impact on the target audience in this situation (discrediting the opponent, false authority, information vaccination, violation of logic…).