CCPP Director Erik C. Nisbet and CCPP affiliate faculty member Olga Kamenchuk have co-authored a new book chapter, “Unpacking the Psychology of State-Sponsored Disinformation Operations and Implications for Public Diplomacy Counterstrategies,” published in Handbook on Public Diplomacy edited by Sean Aday (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025).
The chapter challenges the dominant focus on technology in discussions of disinformation, arguing that the success of state-sponsored campaigns is rooted less in digital strategies and more in the psychological and emotional mechanisms that shape how people process information. Drawing on decades of research in political psychology and communication, Nisbet and Kamenchuk identify three common disinformation strategies—identity-grievance, information flooding, and incidental exposure—and explain the emotional, cognitive, and social biases that make audiences vulnerable to each.
They outline how adversarial states such as Russia and China exploit polarization, learned helplessness, and repeated exposure effects to influence foreign publics. The chapter also offers evidence-based counterstrategies for public diplomacy, including identity affirmation messaging, solutions-focused communication, media literacy education, and “prebunking” interventions that inoculate audiences against manipulation.
Ultimately, Nisbet and Kamenchuk argue that combating disinformation requires not just reactive counter-messaging, but long-term efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, civic efficacy, and resilience among global publics.
Full citation:
Nisbet, E. C., & Kamenchuk, O. (2025). Unpacking the psychology of state-sponsored disinformation operations and implications for public diplomacy counterstrategies. In S. Aday (Ed.), Handbook on Public Diplomacy. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.