The Fitness-Validation Model Of Propagandist Persuasion And The 5Ds Of Propaganda

Adam-Troian, J. (2024). The Fitness-Validation Model of propagandist persuasion and the 5Ds of propaganda. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000442

1. Briefly describe your research and the results obtained

In my article, I propose a Fitness-Validation Model (FVM) that explains propagandist persuasion. According to this model, influence is proportional to the degree of fit between message characteristics (social content, prescriptive content, descriptive content, framing) and recipients’ (group identity, attitudes, knowledge, cognitive makeup).

This model relies on Fitness along four dimensions between message and recipient, and a mediation by the metacognitive process of validation.

The more these characteristics fit, the more the message is treated more valid (the more confident the recipient should be in their own positive appreciation of the message, self-validation). In the end, it leads to attitude and behavior change. So, the goal of propaganda is to maximize fitness between message and recipient characteristics and self-validation in the direction of the message.

From the FVM model, I derive 5 main pathways for propagandist persuasion and dissuasion (5D):

• Deceive social intuition,
• Divert resistant attitudes,
• Disrupt information processing,
• Decoy reasoning,
• Disturb meta-cognition.

In the article I discuss the implications of the FVM for media psychology and propose to use this model to craft more effective liberal democratic (counter)propaganda.

1. What problem does your research solve? Why did you decide to start this research? What is its relevance to the scientific community?

Being a top topic nowadays, propaganda has yet to be formally described by social psychological science, and there is a lack of an operational model of propaganda, which impedes applied and theoretical progress. So I would like to propose a first attempt to conceptualize a coherent model of propaganda in social-psychological terms - the Fitness-Validation Model (FVM) of propagandist persuasion.

Such formal models of propaganda efforts could greatly benefit the liberal democratic information war effort of Ukraine and help save a substantial number of lives. By using my model as basis and roadmap, one can maximize the effectiveness of messages and thus increase Russian servicemembers surrender rates, volume of donations to humanitarian aid and public opinion pressure to supply weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (thereby shortening the length of Russian occupation).

1. Describe the scientific approach within which you conducted the research. Describe your methodology: the methods and resources you used.