Speaker
Description
Methods of reflexive control constitute a sophisticated form of military deception (maskirovka) and a core element of Russian military and intelligence doctrine, as well as a key component of Russia’s security strategy and information warfare. Rather than relying on coercion, reflexive control targets the decision-making processes of an adversary by inducing the target to adopt motives and reasoning that lead to decisions aligned with the deceiver’s political or military objectives.
Central to this approach is the concept of the “reflex,” a procedure through which the deceiver models and anticipates the target’s reasoning and potential behavior. The analytical focus of the reflex lies on the target’s “filter,” understood as a psychological model encompassing the concepts, information, ideas, and experiences that structure perception and decision-making. Insight into the target’s cognitive map is thus treated as a prerequisite for establishing imperceptible influence over decision outcomes.
While cognitivist approaches explain reflexive control primarily through mechanisms of perception and information processing, they fail to account for the experiential dimension through which the target relates to themselves and others. To address this limitation, this paper adopts narratological and dramaturgical perspectives, supplemented by Lacanian psychoanalysis and Fredric Jameson’s concept of the political unconscious. Reflexive control is analyzed through the interaction between the deceiver's deception scenario and the target’s imaginary scenario, revealing structural vulnerabilities exploited in Russian diplomatic and intelligence practices aimed at reshaping the international order.
| If you are submitting an Open Panel proposal, have you included all four abstracts in attachment? | No, I am submitting a Closed Panel abstract |
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| Would you like to be considered for travel funding through the NetSec COST Action? | No |
| Are you a member of the NetSec Management Committee? | No |
| What discipline or branch of humanities or social sciences do you identify yourself with? | Political Science |
| Which of the following best describes your stage of the career? | PhD Candidate |
| In which country is your home institution? | Croatia |
| What is your gender? | Male |