The role of propaganda in the formation of personal semantic constructs

Abstract

The purpose of the publication is to analyze particularmechanisms and means of russian propaganda asa technology of information and psychological influenceand peculiarities of its implementation in the Russia-Ukraine war. The research method is theoreticalanalysis, which specifies some of the mechanismsof changing personal semantic constructs used by Russianpropaganda in information and semantic warfare.Results. The development state of the issue of informationaland psychological influence by representativesof sociology, psychology and journalism was described.The features of propaganda as a tool of informationand semantic warfare were highlighted, and the factorsof its success in the Russian-speaking environmentwere distinguished. Some propaganda mechanismsfor changing semantic constructs of personality wereelucidated. Potential ways to counter propaganda inUkrainian society were proposed. Conclusions. Information-semantic warfare seeks the misinterpretation of facts, the destruction of reality, and the impact onthe consciousness of recipients to form the desired publicopinion. The effectiveness of propaganda dependson the willingness of people to conceive relevantnarratives. The instrument of semantic war is propaganda,which strives to provide a person with a senseof “ontological security”. Propaganda tends to “stabilize”the unsustainable sense of ontological security incitizens through its narratives which “help” them geton with their everyday routine and thus find made-upclichés which create a sense of security. An appeal toethnicity in russian propaganda is the mechanism forchanging semantic constructs. By dominating man, itgenerates collective irresponsibility and is the basisfor the development of the Nazi social consciousnessinherent in russia. Counterpropaganda entails the provisionof truthful information, intellectual discussions,developed autonomous critical thinking, etc.