Cognitive Warfare 2751-KON-WKO
1. Cognitive warfare: the concept and theory of cognitive warfare. The evolution of the concept. The cognitive domain of security. The objectives of cognitive warfare. OODA (John Boyd’s rapid decision-making model). Characteristics of cognitive warfare. Cognitive warfare versus information warfare, cyberwarfare, hybrid warfare, and FIMI.
2. Reflective management in the USSR/Russian Federation. Origins, theory, and practice. The logic of Russian “active measures.”
3. Psychological mechanisms of cognitive warfare. Emotions as a tool of influence in cognitive warfare. The significance of fear, anger, a sense of threat, humiliation, and distrust in constructing effective persuasive and manipulative messages. Social identity and affective polarization as factors increasing susceptibility to manipulative messages.
4. FIMI as an instrument of cognitive warfare. Distinguishing between the concepts of disinformation, propaganda, misinformation, mailinformation, and FIMI. The relationship between actions at the level of messages and platforms and their long-term impact on trust, attitudes, and behaviors. Analysis of objectives: polarization, delegitimization of institutions, weakening of allied solidarity, and reinforcement of anti-establishment attitudes.
5. Digital platforms, algorithms, and the architecture of attention as tools of cognitive warfare. The role of algorithms, bots, fake accounts, microtargeting, and viral messages in influencing the emotions, attitudes, and political decisions of audiences. Memes as tools of cognitive warfare. Deepfakes, generative artificial intelligence, and the crisis of trust in information.
6. Cognitive Warfare and Social Polarization in Liberal Democracies. Campaigns to Delegitimize Democratic Governments.
7. Case Study: The Annexation of Crimea and Russia’s War Against Ukraine and the West.
8. Case Study: China’s Cognitive Warfare Against Taiwan
9. Case study: Israel’s and Iran’s cognitive wars
10. Case study: U.S. cognitive wars against Venezuela (Maduro)
11. Societal cognitive resilience as an element of national security. Countering cognitive warfare. Cognitive security of NATO member states.
The role of media literacy, trust in institutions, independent media, strategic communication, and digital literacy in reducing vulnerability to manipulation.
12. Ethics, law, and the limits of cognitive defense in a democracy. Hypocrisy, “whataboutism,” the gray zone, and norms in cognitive warfare.
Total student workload
Learning outcomes - knowledge
Learning outcomes - skills
Learning outcomes - social competencies
Course coordinators
Teaching methods
Expository teaching methods
- participatory lecture
Exploratory teaching methods
- project work
- case study
- brainstorming
- situational
Online teaching methods
- exchange and discussion methods
Prerequisites
Assessment criteria
The final grade consists of:
- Attendance (33%)
- Class participation (discussion, briefing) (33%)
- Preparation/presentation of a case study (33%)
Final Grade:
51–60%: Satisfactory
61–70%: Satisfactory plus
71–80%: Good
81–90%: Good plus
91–100%: Excellent
Practical placement
None.
Bibliography
Henschke, Adam, Cognitive Warfare: Grey Matters in Contemporary Political Conflict, Routledge, 2025.
Henschke, Adam, Ethics and Cyber Warfare: The Quest for Responsible Security in the Age of Digital Warfare, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Floridi, Luciano, The Ethics of Information, Oxford University Press, 2013.
Bryc A. Czy Rosja prowadzi wojnę kognitywą, Didaskalia, 11 sierpnia 2024. https://youtu.be/PHtCU_6tPFg?si=Ieecf9QSTn1ZYgfC
Bryc A., Domańska M., Rosja w okopach wojny kognitywnej, Nowa Europa Wschodnia Nr 1 2024.
Darczewska J., Zawładnąć umysłami i urządzić świat. Rosyjska strategia dywersji i dezinformacji, OSW 2024.
The Cognitive Campaign: Strategic and Intelligence Perspectives, Yossi Kuperwasser and David Siman-Tov, (Eds), Institute for National Security Studies, 2019.
Deppe C., Cognitive Warfare: A Conceptual Analysis of the NATO ACT Approach, NATO 2024.
du Cluzel F., Cognitive Warfare, a Battle for the Brain , NATO ACT Innovation Hub,
Hartley, D.S.III, Jobson, K.O, Cognitive Superiority: Information to Power. New-York Springer 2021.
Wall, T. , U.S. Psychological Warfare and Civilian Targeting. Peace Review, 2010. Vol. 22, No. 3: 288– 294.
Wojnowski M., Zarządzanie refleksyjne” jako paradygmat rosyjskich operacji informacyjno-psychologicznych w XXI wieku, Przegląd Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, 2015, nr 7, vol. 12, s. 11-36.
Reczkowski, R., Lis A., Cognitive Warfare: What Is Our Actual Knowledge and How to Build State Resilience?, Security Theory and Practice, nr 3 (XLVIII), 2022, s. 51–61.
Reczkowski R., Adamski B., Cognitive Warfare and Religion: Weaponization of the Human Cognitive Dimension, Pastoral Psychology, 2025.
Mueller R., Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, 2019.
Baughman J., How China Wins the Cognitive Domain, China Aerospace Studies Institute, January 2023.
Christopher Paul, Miriam Matthews, The Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” Propaganda Model, RAND Corporation, 2016.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: