Psychological Operations or PSYOP or PSYOPS are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to specific audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. The purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to the originator's objectives.
This concept has especially been used by military institutions throughout the 20th century.
In the United States Department of Defense Psychological Operations exists in the Army, and Marine Corps and certain elements of the Air Force. The Army's Psychological Operations elements are organized within the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) along side Civil Affairs to form the US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations COmmand (USACAPOC) in both Active Duty and Army Reserve units.
The Air Force runs a specific set of operations for Psychological Operations using a modified C-130 Hercules aircraft named Commando Solo. The purpose of Commando Solo is to provide an aerial platform for broadcast media on both Television and Radio. The media broadcast is created by various agencies and organizations.
See also Psychological warfare, Information warfare, Propaganda
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