Past failures and future problems: the psychology of irregular war |
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Authors: | Phil Reynolds |
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Institution: | 1. US Army, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, USAphilip.w.reynolds@gmail.com |
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Abstract: | Personal cognitive processes inform how individuals understand their environment. Cultural variation, fundamental attribution error, causal attribution, and durability bias create obstacles to Western understanding of irregular war and have created a significant institutional bias in how the US military perceives its enemies- a perception only somewhat softened after a decade of irregular war. United Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is in a better position to overcome these problems through persistent engagement. In the event of major conflict, environmentally sensitized military planners will be better able to achieve military and policy objectives. |
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Keywords: | psychology irregular war cognition institutional bias USSOCOM cultural variation fundamental attribution error (FAE) causal attribution |
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