Psychological operations (PSYOPs) are military operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their motives and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and large foreign powers. The purpose of United States psychological operations is to induce or reinforce behavior perceived to be favorable to U.S. objectives. They are an important part of the range of diplomatic, informational, military and economic activities available to the U.S. They can be utilized during both peacetime and conflict. At the strategic level, psychological operations include informational activities conducted by the U.S. government agencies outside of the military arena, though many utilize Department of Defense (DoD) assets. They are conducted across the range of military operations, including during peacetime, in a defined operational area to promote the effectiveness of the...