The Cognitive Crucible

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Ed Hollandsworth of the Joint Forces Staff College shares his observations related to career-level US military officer education and the recently released joint doctrine: JP 3-04 Information in Joint Operations.  Research Question: Ed suggests that researchers consider a cluster of inter-related questions that could be considered as a research agenda. This means each question by itself could be the focus of a separate research effort.  Building on the podcasts of Major Cassandra Brooker (#81) and John DeRosa and Alex DelCastillo (#82), Ed challenges scholars to ask “How can the US Government validly, accurately, and rapidly measure the effectiveness of its operations in the information environment in time to influence leader decisions about future plans and operations?  What social science methods and performance measurement models are well-suited to this complex task?  How should the Intelligence Community posture itself to support OIE performance measurement?  Downstream, what are the implications of integrated OIE strategies, and the measurement of their effectiveness, for future changes in intelligence collection, predictive analysis, and training and education curriculum development?” Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #38 Lori Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment #20 Chris Paul on the Firehose of Falsehood #125 JP 3-04 Information in Joint Operations Joint Forces Staff College Book Recommendations: Joshua A. Sipper.  (2021).  It’s not just about cyber anymore:  Multidisciplinary Cyber Education and Training Under the New Information Warfare Paradigm, Joint Forces Quarterly, Spring 2021, pp. 49-56. Mark M. Lowenthal, Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy, 9th edition, 2023. Amy B. Zegart, Spies, Lies and Algorithms:  The History and Future of American Intelligence, 2022. Martin C. Libicki, Cyberspace in Peace and War, 2d edition, 2021. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-126 Guest Bio:  Dr. Edgar “Ed” Hollandsworth reported to the Joint Forces Staff College in September of 2021 as the DIA Academic Chair, a 3-year rotational assignment.  In September 2022, National Defense University appointed him as an Assistant Professor.  He teaches lessons on intelligence studies, information warfare, space and cyberspace operations, and national defense organization in all three JFSC colleges. Ed joined DIA in 2007.  His positions included Director of National Intelligence Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholar, 2020-2021; Deputy Career Field Manager and Lead Career Development Officer, Mission Management (MM) Career Field, Joint Staff J2M (MM Workforce Development Division), 2015-2020; Deputy Chief, Mission Integration Division, National Measurement and Signature Intelligence Office (NMO), Directorate for Science and Technology (ST), 2014-2015; Chief, Enterprise Integration Division, DoD Special Communications Enterprise Office, ST, 2012-2014; Space Policy Analyst, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, 2011-2012; Chief, Functional Management Division, Office for Collection Management Enterprise, Defense Intelligence Operations Coordination Center (DIOCC), 2009-2010; Senior Intelligence Officer (Policy and Strategy) and Acting Chief, Policy and Strategy Division, DIOCC, 2007-2009. Prior to his DIA career, Ed served for 20 years as an Air Force intelligence officer, retiring in 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel.  His Air Force assignments included Assistant Director of Operations, Air Force Technical Applications Center, 2004-2006; Assistant Air Attaché to Germany, DIA, 2001-2004; Intelligence Requirements Certification Officer, Joint Staff J2P, 1999-2001; Joint Warfighting Capabilities Assessment Studies Lead, Joint Staff J2P, 1997-1999; Chief, Multi-Force Assessment Division, Chief, Joint Analysis and Reporting Division, and Section Chief, Misawa Cryptologic Operations Center, Air Intelligence Agency, 1994-1997; Chief, National Systems Collection Management, OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT C2, 1996; Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Air Force ROTC Det. 520, Cornell University, 1991-1994; Arms Control Analyst, Soviet Politico-Military Affairs Officer and Watch Officer, Headquarters Air Force Intelligence Agency, 1988-1991; Student, Naval Postgraduate School National Security Affairs program, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1986-1987.  He also served as a desk editor for the Foreign Broadcast Information Service and as a security escort at the Central Intelligence Agency, 1984-1986. Ed is a graduate of the Defense Senior Leader Development Program, 2012; Army War College, 2011; Armed Forces Staff College, 2000; Air Command and Staff College, 1998; and Air Force Academic Instructor School, 1991. He holds a B.S. in Foreign Service majoring in International Politics from Georgetown University, a masters in East European Area Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, an MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, a masters in strategic studies from the Army War College, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration/Public Affairs from Virginia Tech.  Ed co-taught Cornell University and Ithaca College undergraduates as an Air Force ROTC instructor; adult undergraduates in business administration at Columbia College, Patrick Air Force Base, as an adjunct faculty member; and graduate students in the Joint Forces Staff College as a full-time faculty member.  His research interests include government reform, public management theory and practice, intelligence studies, and challenges of governing the global commons. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, three key players in the establishment of JP 3-04 (Information in Joint Operations)–Eric Wallace, Derek Elliott, and Ron Walters–give the Cognitive Crucible audience a behind-the-scenes tour into the process of creating new joint doctrine. For part of the conversation, the audience may want to refer to this Doctrinal Logic: Information in Joint Operations 1-page summary. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #2 Austin Branch, the US Army’s First Information Operations officer #64 Greg Radabaugh on Informational Power #95 LtGen Matthew Glavy on MCDP 8 Information Joint Concept for Operating in the Information Environment (2018) JROCM 068-19 Operations in the Information Environment DOTmLPF-P Change Recommendation Doctrinal Logic: Information in Joint Operations Reading List Normal Department of Defense processes can be found in CJCSI 3100.01 - Joint Strategic Planning System Normalize DoD Processes are described in CJCSI 3100.01 Joint Strategic Planning System JP 3-04, Information in Joint Operations, 14 September 2022 can be found on JDEIS JP 3-0, Joint Operations, 18 June 2022: This publication provides fundamental principles and guidance for joint campaigns and operations can be found on JDEIS JP 5-0, Joint Planning, 1 December 2020: This publication is the keystone document for joint planning. It provides the doctrinal foundation and fundamental principles that guide the Armed Forces of the United States in planning joint campaigns and operations. - It can be found on JDEIS  but officially is behind the JDEIS firewall JP 2-0, Joint Intelligence, 26 May 2022: This publication is the keystone document for joint intelligence. It provides the doctrinal foundation and fundamental principles that guide joint and national intelligence products, services, and assessments and support to joint operations. JP 2-0 can be found on JDEIS Dr. Thomas Rona Dr. John Arquilla Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-125 Guest Bio:  Eric Wallace is currently an Information Warfare/Electronic Warfare Subject Matter Expert with COLSA Corporation February 2022. In this capacity he utilizes his expert knowledge to influence best practices within IW discipline, leads work teams or other SMEs to ensure customer satisfaction relating to technical contract performance, is a recognized expert in the information warfare field, and advises and consults on information warfare with high-level customers and stakeholders. Prior to his joining COLSA, Mr. Wallace was the Chief of the Information Proponent Division, Joint Information Operations Warfare Center (JIOWC) in San Antonio, TX. JIOWC is Chairman’s Controlled Activity subordinate to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Wallace led the JIOWC’s effort to operationalize and institutionalize the information joint function and operations in the information environment across the Department of Defense. Outcomes associated with this role included publishing the Joint Concept for Operating in the Information Environment (JCOIE); the designation of Information as a joint function; leading the Operations in the Information Environment Capabilities-Based Assessment DOTMLPF-P Change Recommendation and associated Joint Requirements Oversight Council Memorandum 068-19; and the development of the information joint function doctrinal publication JP 3-04 Information in Joint Operations. Mr. Wallace entered Civil Service in 1995 and has worked in numerous assignments supporting operations in the information environment. He has served in various national level forums including Electronic Intelligence, 2003 Information Operations Road Map, 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review, and was Project Director for an OSD-directed study on intelligence support to IO planning and operational requirements. Mr. Wallace’s other noteworthy contributions include the 2010 Joint Information Operations Force Optimization Study; 2016 Department of Defense Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment; Capstone Concept for Joint Operations 2030 (CCJO). For more than 19 years, Mr. Wallace has provided direct information operations support to combatant commanders and has over 20 years of experience in intelligence at the tactical, theater/joint, and national levels, including Operations DENY FLIGHT/PROVIDE PROMISE and ENDURING FREEDOM. Mr. Wallace enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1980 and has served in a variety of intelligence assignments in the United States and overseas. Derek Elliott retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2014 after serving as an Information Operations Officer and conducting tactical- through strategic-level Information Operations. Mr. Elliott is a subject matter expert on the use of information in joint operations with MeriTec Services, Incorporated. While assigned as a doctrine writer in the Information Operations Proponent Division of the Joint Information Operations Warfare Center, Derek led the writing team that incorporated the information joint function into Joint Doctrine and that created Joint Publication 3-04, Information in Joint Operations. Ron Walters retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel of Psychological Operations in 2011. Ron’s PSYOP experience ranges from PSYOP Detachment to the Joint Staff.  Joining MeriTec Services after a lengthy stint with MISTF-A, Ron participated in the drafting of the Joint Concept for Operating in the Information Environment and the following Operations in the Information Environment Capabilities Based Assessment. He was a primary contributor behind Information the Joint Function. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dean Cheng of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies has a wide ranging discussion which centers around Chinese technology initiatives related to information operations, space operations, engagement with the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (or ITU), and even the Arctic. Dean also comments on areas where the Chinese has relative advantage and disadvantage compared to The West. Research Question: How china is using various tools to influence third party populations in Africa, South America, and the Middle East; how many foreign students educated in Chinese institutions are now in influential positions within their home countries and how is this affecting policies in these regions? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #113 Jeff Engstrom on Chinese Systems Warfare The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why by Richard E. Nisbett Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-124 Guest Bio:  Dean Cheng is a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He retired as the Senior Research Fellow for Chinese Political and Military Affairs at the Heritage Foundation after 13 years. He is fluent in Chinese, and uses Chinese language materials regularly in his work. Prior to joining the Heritage Foundation, he worked with the China Studies Division (previously, Project Asia) at the Center for Naval Analysis, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, where he specialized in Chinese military issues, with a focus on Chinese military doctrine and Chinese space capabilities. Before that, he worked for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and as an analyst with the US Congress’ Office of Technology Assessment in the International Security and Space Division.  He is the author of the volume Cyber Dragon: Inside China’s Information Warfare and Cyber Operations (Praeger Publishing, 2016). He has testified before Congress, and spoken at the National Space Symposium, the US National Defense University, the USSTRATCOM Deterrence Symposium, Harvard, and MIT. He has appeared frequently in print and broadcast media to discuss Chinese space and military activities. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr. Jon Roginski discusses insider threats. Jon asserts that insider threat detection and mitigation is an inherently complex human problem, and describes two broad risk activities: trait-based and state-based. His colleagues at the West Point Insider Threat Program connect insider threats with the medical community and examine the problem as a living, breathing, and growing dynamic. Research Question: How do we lead the development and/or maintenance of organizational culture so that the workforce is connected to and invested in the organization and believes that connection and investiture is reciprocated. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #111 Victoria Coleman on Science, Technology, and Innovation Executive Order 13587 Dr. Jon Roginski’s West Point Webpage Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki Legacy by James Kerr Event Details: IPA Members Only Live Cognitive Crucible Podcast Recording Social Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-123 Guest Bio: Jon Roginski is the Program Manager for the West Point Insider Threat Program, which serves as the "research arm" for the Pentagon-administered Army Insider Threat Program. The program considers threat research from a variety of different vectors from the traditional (fraud, espionage, spillage) to contemporary...a holistic approach of creating an organizational ecosystem that is incompatible with threat. What does that really mean? A couple things. First, we consider many factors that erode our enterprises efficiency and readiness from the inside out to be insider risks or threats. We want to build a better place to live and work so people feel connected to and invested in their organization and environment so we can build up, rather than tear down. Second, if you have a research topic that you feel doesn't fit anywhere, come talk to me. You may be surprised at the connections that may be made to current projects or the appetite for a new approach!  LTC(ret) Roginski was a class of '96 mathlete and rugby player, basic branch Military Policeman, functional area Operations Research analyst, and (is) an enthusiastic Network Scientist. As him about being a Platoon Leader and Commander in the 10th Mountain Division, Commander and Provost Marshal in Okinawa Japan, member of a think tank reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, ORSA leader at Fort Drum and Kandahar Afghanistan, or invited Network Science Professor at Singapore’s premier defense (they call it defence) institute. Come ask a question about the power and relevance of network science in today’s operating environments...or about how you can support the Army Men's Rugby team in climbing the mountain to their second National Championship! About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Josh Nespodzany discusses Comcast’s Narrative Design team and how they improve the communication of new ideas or initiatives within the enterprise. Our discussion touches upon market research, target audience analysis, red teaming ideas, and measures of effectiveness. Research Question: Josh suggests that researchers get outside their comfort zones in order to get different perspectives which can then, in turn, inform future research efforts. Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #89 Ajit Mann and Paul Cobaugh on Narrative #115 Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect Introduction to Narrative Warfare by Ajit Mann How Minds Change by David McRaney Josh Nespodzany's Narrative Strategies Mind Map IPA members only live Cognitive Crucible podcast recording & Social Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-122 Guest Bio:  Josh Nespodzany has over 25 years of experience working in both advertising and product, and currently serves as the Director of Narrative Design at Comcast. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Colonel Koichiro Takagi discusses his recent article: The Future of China’s Cognitive Warfare and East Asia security. He notes that China’s concept of cognitive warfare and intelligentized warfare have merged in recent years. Koichiro is currently a fellow at the Hudson Institute. Note: There is a transcript available on the IPA website here. Research Question: Koichiro believes that interested students should develop innovative operational concepts which employ cutting edge technologies which are currently being developed. What is important is not the superiority of the technology itself, but the superiority of the operational concept. Resources: Hudson Institute THE FUTURE OF CHINA’S COGNITIVE WARFARE: LESSONS FROM THE WAR IN UKRAINE by Col Koichiro Takagi New Tech, New Concepts: China’s Plans for AI and Cognitive Warfare - War on the Rocks by Col Koichiro Takagi Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui Link to full show notes, transcript, and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-121 Guest Bio:  Koichiro Takagi is a Colonel in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He is also a visiting fellow of the Hudson Institute. He is a former Deputy Chief, Defense Operation Section, 1st Operations Division, J-3, Joint Staff Japan, and has designed joint operation plans and orders in the severe security environment of East Asia. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Bill Bray discusses his recent article: The Navy Information Warfare Community’s Road to Serfdom. Bill offers a constructive critique of the United States Navy’s information warfare community manpower management policies. He asserts that information warfare officers are crowded out of senior leadership positions which, in turn, is having adverse effects on morale within the community. Research Question: Bill suggests students and the information professionals community in general figure out a way to measure the effectiveness of influence campaigns.  Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #24 John Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security The Navy Information Warfare Community’s Road to Serfdom Friedrich Hayek The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the Way We Do by Erik J. Larson Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-120 Guest Bio:  From Natick, Massachusetts, Captain Bray graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1988. He served as a surface warfare officer in San Diego, California, until 1992 before transitioning to naval intelligence. In naval intelligence, he served in a variety of operational and joint intelligence billets in both the Pacific and Europe and completed two Middle East deployments and one East Africa deployment. From 2010 to 2012 he commanded the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Maryland, and from 2012 to 2014 he served as the Naval Forces Europe/Naval Forces Africa/Sixth Fleet Director for Intelligence in Naples, Italy. In 2014–2015 he was a CNO Strategic Studies Fellow in Newport, Rhode Island. Following retirement in 2016, Captain Bray was a managing director at Ankura Consulting before being hired in August 2018 as deputy editor-in-chief of Proceedings magazine at the U.S. Naval Institute in Annapolis, Maryland.  About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Katie Carman discusses the most recent installment in RAND’s Truth Decay project: Individual Differences in Resistance to Truth Decay: Exploring the Role of Reasoning and Cognitive Biases. We discuss cognitive biases and how they affect decision making. The most consistent finding from her co-authored report was that greater numerical and scientific reasoning and lower magical reasoning were associated with greater resistance to Truth Decay. Research Question: Creative, young minds should explore how to solve the Truth Decay problem? How can we experiment with new ideas in order to use information better? Can we come up with a new way of presenting information that will make it easier for people to identify facts? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #76 Yuval Levin on the Constitution & Institutions #107 Vanessa Otero on News Ecosystem Health Katherine Carman’s Bio RAND’s Truth Decay Initiative Recent Report: Individual Differences in Resistance to Truth Decay: Exploring the Role of Reasoning and Cognitive Biases by Luke J. Matthews, Andrew M. Parker, Katherine Grace Carman, Rose Kerber, Jennifer Kavanagh Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America by Joan Donovan, Emily Dreyfuss, Brian Friedberg Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-119 Guest Bio:  Katherine Carman is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, director of RAND's Center for Financial and Economic Decision Making, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research focuses on behavioral economics, health economics, and public economics. Carman is particularly interested in how individuals' beliefs, perceptions, and decision making processes affect their choices. Currently she is studying health behaviors, health insurance decisions, and retirement decisions. She has a number of projects studying the impacts of COVID-19. She is also interested in the effects of peer behavior and characteristics on individual choices. Previously, Carman was an assistant professor at Tilburg University and affiliated with CentER and Netspar. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in health policy research at Harvard University. She received a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Joe Kirschbaum discusses the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) September 2022 report entitled: Information Environment: Opportunities and Threats to DOD's National Security Mission. This report describes DOD's use and protection of the information environment and describes DOD actions taken and planned to use and protect the information environment. Joe Kirschbaum describes several themes which characterize DOD’s progress related to information-related capabilities including what he calls the “strategy implementation mismatch.” Research Questions:  What’s the right whole of government structure or model that’s appropriate for managing this problem? What’s the right interagency approach? How might the information environment be used in a combined arms construct? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #111 Victoria Coleman on Science, Technology, and Innovation United States Government Accountability Office Dr. Joe Kirschbaum’s GAO bio Information Environment: Opportunities and Threats to DOD's National Security Mission (Sep 2022) Information Environment: DOD Operations Need Enhanced Leadership and Integration of Capabilities (Apr 2021) Information Operations: DOD Should Improve Leadership and Integration Efforts (Aug 2019)(Restricted)) Joint Information Environment: DOD Needs to Strengthen Governance and Management (Oct 2016) YouTube: GAO National Security Threats in the Information Age - Director Summary YouTube: GAO National Security Threats in the Information Age - Industrial Age and Information Age YouTube: GAO National Security Threats in the Information Age - F-35 Example Information Technology and Military Power by Jon R. Lindsay Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-118 Guest Bio:  Dr. Joseph Kirschbaum is a Director in GAO's Defense Capabilities and Management team. He leads GAO's work on the Department of Defense's ability to respond to unconventional threats. As part of his portfolio, he oversees evaluations on the Department of Defense's preparations for homeland defense; plans to respond to emerging threats and irregular warfare; protection of critical infrastructure; and development and management of cyber, nuclear, and intelligence capabilities. Over his 20-plus-year career with GAO, Dr. Kirschbaum conducted and led audits throughout the range of defense and national security programs, focusing mostly on the Defense Department. Dr. Kirschbaum comes from a Navy family and served briefly on active duty in the U.S. Navy's nuclear propulsion program. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science and a master's degree in national security studies, both from California State University, San Bernardino, and a doctoral degree in military history from George Washington University. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Sam Wooley of the University of Texas School of Journalism discusses journalism, propaganda, and ethics. Our conversations unpacks the definition of propaganda and how today’s technology fuels propaganda and influence. Research Question: Encrypted messaging apps (like WhatApp, Signal, Discord, etc) are becoming more popular, and incubation of disinformation campaigns happens in those spaces. How does disinformation and propaganda spread in encrypted spaces? How will we study propaganda in transport-layer encrypted spaces? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #112 Jake Sotiriadis on the Value Proposition of Future Studies #107 Vanessa Otero on News Ecosystem Health #14 BDJ on Threatcasting #116 Matt Jackson on Social Learning and Game Theory Sam Wooley’s Bio Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky Yellow Journalism Bots by Nick Monaco, Samuel Woolley Manufacturing Consensus: Understanding Propaganda in the Era of Automation and Anonymity by Sam Woolley Center for Media Engagement at University of Texas Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-117 Guest Bio:  Samuel C. Woolley is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and an assistant professor, by courtesy, in the School of Information--both at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the project director for propaganda research at the Center for Media Engagement (CME) at UT.  Woolley is currently a research associate at the Project for Democracy and the Internet at Stanford University. He has held past research affiliations at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at the University of California at Berkeley.  Woolley’s research is focused on how emergent technologies are used in and around global political communication. His work on computational propaganda—the use of social media in attempts to manipulate public opinion—has revealed the ways in which a wide variety of political groups in the United States and abroad have leveraged tools such as bots and trending algorithms and tactics of disinformation and trolling in efforts to control information flows online. His research on digital politics, automation/AI, social media, and political polarization is currently supported by grants from by Omidyar Network (ON), the Miami Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. His past research has been funded by the Ford Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the New Venture Fund for Communications, and others. His latest book, The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology Will Break the Truth, was released in January 2020 by PublicAffairs (US) and Octopus/Endeavour (UK). It explores the ways in which emergent technologies--from deep fakes to virtual reality--are already being leveraged to manipulate public opinion, and how they are likely to be used in the future. He proposes strategic responses to these threats with the ultimate goal of empowering activists and pushing technology builders to design for democracy and human rights.  He is currently working on two other books. Manufacturing Consensus (Yale University Press) explores the ways in which social media, and automated tools such as bots, have become global mechanisms for creating illusions of political support or popularity. He discusses the power of these tools for amplification and suppression of particular modes of digital communication, building on Herman and Chomsky's (1988) integral work on propaganda. His other book, co-authored with Nicholas Monaco, is titled Bots (Polity) and is a primer on the ways these automated tools have become integral to the flow of all manner of information online. Woolley is the co-editor, with Philip N. Howard (Oxford) of Computational Propaganda: Political Parties, Politicians, and Political Manipulation on Social Media, released in 2018 by the Oxford Studies in Digital Politics series at Oxford University Press. This volume of country specific case studies explores the rise of social media--and tools like algorithms and automation--as mechanisms for political manipulation around the world. He has published several peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and white papers on emergent technology, the Internet and public life in publications such as the Journal of Information Technology and Politics, the International Journal of Communication, A Networked Self: Platforms, Stories, Connections, The Political Economy of Robots: Prospects for Prosperity and Peace in an Automated 21st Century, The Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security, and Can Public Diplomacy Survive the Internet? Bots, Echo Chambers and Disinformation.   Woolley is the founding director of the Digital Intelligence Lab, a research and policy oriented project at the Institute for the Future—a 50-year-old think-tank located in Palo Alto, CA. Before this he served as the director of research at the National Science Foundation and European Research Council supported Computational Propaganda Project at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. He is a former resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund's Digital Innovation Democracy Initiative and a former Belfer Fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Science and technology. He is a former research fellow at Jigsaw, Google’s think-tank and technology incubator, at the Center Tech Policy Lab at the University of Washington’s Schools of Law and Information, and at the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University.  His public work on computational propaganda and social media bots has appeared in venues including Wired, the Guardian,TechCrunch, Motherboard, Slate, and The Atlantic. For his research, Woolley has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Guardian and on PBS’ Frontline, BBC’s News at Ten, and ABC’s Today. His work on computational propaganda and bots has been presented to members of the U.S. Congress, the U.K. Parliament, NATO, and others. His Ph.D. is in Communication from the University of Washington. His website is samwoolley.org and he tweets from @samuelwoolley.  About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.