Since I claim some positions others disagree with and have put up some info on a propoganda department functioning in our present Administration, thought it 'd be good to put up some defining and clarifying terms and techniques on the subject for interested people to keep in mind as they witness the news and conflicting data.
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Propaganda Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attacks by Japanese armed forces on Hawaii and the reported flight of planes near San Francisco may have significance in two directions. First, such action has a military value, but in the present instance such value must be relative [sic] small. This would seem a reasonable assumption considering the small force used in the attack and the relatively small amount of damage which was done. The second value that this action may have is of a "propaganda" nature. There would seem real reason to believe that this second value may have been much greater than the first. The effects of such propaganda may be exerted in two directions. On the one hand, while the action resulted in a widespread unity in the American public, there are evidences of considerable unrest and worry especially on the west coast. On the other hand, actions so near the American coast may well arouse a public clamor that the Pacific fleet be kept in home waters for the protection of coastal cities -- the result of which might hamper the operation of the Navy. Before it is too late both of these effects should be combated by public education through radio broadcasts and the press. On the immediate need to inform the people by press and radio of the "propaganda by intimidation" character of the Japanese attacks, Dec. 9, 1941

Is there any instrumentality by which information on foreign countries coordinated by COI may be communicated to OFF for domestic consumption? Memorandum from Robert C. Tryon, Chief, Psychology Division, to Mr. Baxter, Jan. 29, 1942

Nazi Magic Thought and Grammar
Nazis use technique associated with what might properly be called "magic" in the sense of superhuman control by the magician (Fuehrer) over natural causation. Thus, not only do they step up enthusiasm, by emphasis on rhythms, symbols, and ritual, but they perform symbolic acts intended to exhibit the real power. ... the Fascists and Nazis have further reinforced the magic power of their "structures" and devaluating processes by a number of grammatical twists and confusions:

(a) "Streamline" the sentence; i.e., increasing the emphasis on the structure-nouns by cutting out relative and subordinate verbs. This technique conceals causal relationships (the use of streamlined nouns is particularly easy and effective in public speeches).

( Frequent use of the passive voice for any action involving man.

(c) A grammar purposely confused to create ambiguity.

(d) Encouragement of the use of various technical or esoteric "lingos" in order that various groups may find it hard to communicate with one another. When technical terms are used realistically they are devalued by association with streamlined grammar. Digest of Paper on "Magic Thought and Magic Grammar in Totalitarian Propaganda" by Henry M. Paechter, circa Oct. 1941

The Political Warfare Executive as Described by Mr. H.R.S. Grossman, Oct. 9, 1942

"Scientific" Propaganda
Excerpts from Letter to Dr. Baxter from Elmo Roper, Aug. 25, 1941

After talking with our staff, and with Dr. Guthrie and Dr. Edwards, the advisors proceeded to formulate a working outline for the analysis of any social system having a territorial extent (a tribe, a village, a city, a nation, etc.) They conceived their job in this respect to be one of devising a guide for analysis based upon the experience of social anthropologists which would help us answer three major questions about a given country:

(1) How do the people act?
(2) How are these actions continued?
(3) If we want to maintain (or change) these conditions, how can we do it? Report on Conference of Social Anthropologists held December 20-21, 1941.
The essential social and psychological facts about any country can be subsumed under six broad categories:


I. Adaptation to the natural environment. (the forms of economic enterprise and the groupings of people in them).
II. The social organization.
III. Ideologies (the symbolic system of each social aggregate; ultimate beliefs and sanctions for behavior).
IV. Recent social change (general trends and important dislocations within the last generation).
V. Leaders and leadership (leadership in the organizational sense; particular individual leaders and aspirants).
VI. The individual in his society (personality development in key groups, important national characteristics; etc.). Social and Psychological Analysis of a Nation: A Working Outline, Jan. 2, 1942
The Conference with the Social Anthropologists and Resulting Operations, Jan. 10, 1942

You may recall your meeting with Professor Mark May several weeks ago. I had a long talk with him about the materials in the Cross-Cultural Survey, and about his staff. They have collected a great amount of information on the social and psychological characteristics of many societies throughout the world. As they may probably have information of value to us, and as they expressed a desire to assist us on any problem on which we wish information, it seems wise to send Mr. Junker, who knows Professor Murdock, head of the Survey, to Yale University for a brief investigation. The Yale Cross-Cultural Survey, Jan. 21, 1942

Relation of Psychology Division with Morale Committee of the American Psychoanalytic Association, Jan, 29, 1942

The six techniques may be described objectively as follows:

1. The use of emotional stereotypes.
2. Overgeneralization.
3. The transfer of positive affect to one's self by showing opposition to a person who is disliked.
4. The exploiting of the ideals, the self-protecting impulses and the gregariousness of an opponent.
5. The development of rituals.
6. The attachment of unpleasant emotions to traditional symbols.
... Our important task is to discover what are the important social ways of people and the techniques for modifying or fostering them. Memorandum from Mr. Tryon, Nov. 5, 1941


Schema for a Psychological Appraisal of a Nation, Jan. 2, 1942


On the accompanying orientation chart the populace with its complex social structure and psychology is indicated by a center circle. The conditions that affect the morale of a group are indicated on the left. The appraisal of the military, economic, social and political conditions is not the central interest of the social psychologist except insofar as they affect individuals directly. The effect of these conditions on the populace results in certain expressions of the people as indicated by the 17 types of items at the right of the chart. These expressions define the national morale of a people and it is the main job of the social psychologist to collect and evaluate facts about them on strategic foreign countries. ...

Special psychological problems. We are conducting and plan to do further work on a number of special psychological problems dealing with certain characteristics of foreign peoples. These questions are as follows:

1. The social situations that produce panic in different peoples and the form that panic takes. One such study is under way.

2. The appeals to which persons in important social groups respond as revealed by a systematic study of contemporary popular literature, speeches, leaders' characteristics, music, aesthetic content, etc.

3. The social sensitivies and modes of releasing them as revealed by characteristics of humor, fads, etc.

4. Common modes of solving conflicts and frustrations as revealed by neurotic and psychopathic patterns.

5. Unique social sentiments in strong emotional situations, such as birth, marriage, death.

6. The characteristics of rumor-spreading. One study in collaboration with Mr. Potter, the OFF, and the Office of Education is now being planned. Summary of the Activities of the Psychology Division, Jan. 24, 1942

Generating Panic
This report presents the general principles involved in such operations, and includes only occasional illustrative material. As our analysis proceeded it became increasingly evident that civilian panic as a weapon can only be effectively used when integrated with specific military operations against specific military objectives that include civilian groups. Such operations would require the participation of social analysts working directly with the military strategists. These analysts, employing the principles herein presented, would make a preliminary psychological study of the people of the specific communities involved in the campaign, and the procedures for the stimulation of panic would have to be carefully time and integrated with the actual operations. Like any other weapon, panic would not be effective if it were shot off at the enemy in general. Its use requires a high degree of control; skillful integration with other operations, and above all, planned and careful study preliminary to an actual campaign. Generating Panic, April 7, 1942


Disguised Propaganda
We must recognize that what is important in propaganda is the effect upon the listener, whether his morale has been improved or not, rather than the manifest line which the propaganda takes. It is obvious that a given broadcast or movie can leave an audience violently disagreeing with the material presented. Such effects may be controlled. Likewise, the broadcast which is full of highest patriotism, but at the same time makes the patriot's cause appear hopeless, may have a negative morale effect upon the listener. ... Cues for disguised propaganda may be taken from the list of possible techniques above. The most usual one is whether or not there is a predominance of "bad news" or "good news." Suggested Report on The Psychology of Disguised Propaganda, August 7, 1942


Hypnotists and Kooks
I am an ex-Rhodes scholar, hold my Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University, and am at present head of the Department of Psychology and the School of Biological Sciences at Colgate University. During the past ten years I have devoted my research work to one topic -- the use of hypnotism in warfare. Letter from Professor Estabrooks, Jan. 1, 1942

For the past seven or eight years I have been very much interested in the possibilities of applying hypnotism to certain problems of modern warfare, especially with respect to the activities of the Intelligence Department. I have submitted these plans to the Army Intelligence Department, but have been quite unsuccessful in making any headway. Letter from Professor Estabrooks, Jan. 23, 1942

We are very willing, indeed, to examine your plans on the possibility of applying hypnosis to certain problems of modern warfare. In your previous letter to Colonel Donovan you mentioned some detailed plans you have worked out. I would suggest that you forward them to us and hope that you will not hesitate to go into the technical details necessary for us to study your proposal. Letter to Professor Estabrooks, Jan. 27, 1942

I told Arthur U. Pope on the telephone Friday that we were not interested in putting up anything for his project to make Hitler go crazy... Mr. Arthur U. Pope's Projects, Jan. 31, 1942

Antecedents
Going back to the Civil War, we find some real psychological warfare by the army. In the first year of the war the military kept hands off the Negro problem in the South. But when the going got tough and it became discernible that Negroes were being inducted into the Southern Army, the military took active steps to create political and social dissention in the South. General Hunter, working through agents and other means appealed to the Negroes to rebel and to come over to the Northern troops. General Fremont went so far under his own authority, to announce the Emancipation Proclamation in Missouri. This was sheer propaganda to get the Negroes to rebel. Political and propaganda activities of US officers, Aug. 14, 1942


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