PSYCHOLOGISTS - POWERFUL PUPPETEERS IN POLITICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400100055-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2003
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: November 12, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

CHICAGO, ILL.
Q AMERICAN
e. 438,422
S. 540,186
r~~ can o~..
~ ` ~- I - u ~"~.
Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP75-000018000400100055-3
l~'
S Date: ~ ?~~ 121964. ...
~:1'~he Mind Magicians
'. Psgrcholo~~isfs-Powerful
Popper e~e~~ in Po~l itecs
This is the last of five
articles on the growing in-
fluence of "applied psy-
chology' on the American
'way of life. The author is
a veteran medical reporter
who specializes in psy-
chology.
BY RUTH WINTER
North American Nawspoplf %tRiance
IN A cartoon one rat says
'to another, "Boy, have I got
j this guy trained! Everytime
I push this bar, he gives me
a pellet of food." ~
Just who is manipulating
whom and just how powerful
in influen~-
are
h 1 it
Pollsters, many of whom
are psychologists, use psy ?
chological techniques. They '
have been notoriously wrong, '
but they have also been
amazingly influential.
DANIEL Yankelovich, a
Harvard-trained psychologist,
did a survey for Life mega- k
zinc during the 1960 elections ;
?to determine The United ;
States Voters' Image of the ';-
Ideal President."
Ile found the voters wanted $
"a man of conviction who is
"The threatening words were just the- way the . ; willing to fight for his princi-
Arabs expressed themselves in public and did not ~ ~ Pies but who is able, by con- t
imply actual hostile intentipn:' ' ', ciliation and compromise, to :_
-~ ? roid such a fi ht A min -
s
psyc o og s
psychologists are used by
ing us is a big question to- `the defense department to
day. , ~ combat the effects of guer-
Few people realize that a rills warfare in such hot spots
"conservatively estimated" 5 ` ~ as Viet Nam.
per cent of American Psycho- Charles Windlo and T. R.
logical association members ~ Valiance bf the Special Op-
~ orations Research office,
work for rho United States American university, wrote a
,. department of defense. ~ report on the "future of Mili-
In the fiscal year 1960 the , tm'Y Psychology" in t h e
federal government spent a1- ?~ A? P? A. journal, the Ameri-
.most 18 million doAara-for ~f can Psychologist.
1 psychological research in de- ' TIIE TWO researchers re-
~ fence problems. ~ vealed that "psychological op-
orations include use of mass
~' PSYCIIOLOGISTS are used ? `media directed toward friend-
by the CIA to screen person- i ly and neutral as well as
nel being used for counter- ~ e n e m y countries; military
movements, p a 11 c y state-
I. intelligence. It is their respon- ~ m e n t s, economic transac-
sibility to weed out potential Lions, and developmental as-
traitors. Incidentally, Gary , sistance."
Powers, 4lie U-2 pilot, recent- They said a "major part of
ly married a CI,~A `s~cholo- ~ the battle for men's minds is
ith
rll
rt
f
i
,
y .w
l~a
ought?,p
,~-e
ng
. words as weapons ' -~_. :,' w,ho is above partisan ron- ~.
"Psychologists should b e 5iderations. A man with the
able to apply some of their r~ common touch. A vigorous, ,?.
experience from child and I decisive man who can rnako
clinical psychology to in- ~
d
=
one
t
up his mind get thins
,, crease understanding of psy- I ,and not be pushed around by
chological conditions in de- ~ other people-especially Rus-
veloping nations," they said, ~ signs. A man with experience ."
"end perhaps suggest there- ~ ~ foreign affairs." ~
peutic measures more devel- ,~ As far as Richard Nixon
oped nations might take." `was concerned. Yankelovich
.Indeed, many diplomats are ~, found: "To many voters in ;
quietly consulting psycholo- ~, our study, Nixon comes much
gists for "an analysis of the ! ? closer than the other six can- _'~
`psychological style' of differ- didates to the Presidential ~
ent peoples and Eor advice on ,.~ imago described above: But
how to deal with them." ;1 a strongly opposed group. ?`~
TOR INSTANCE, one dip- , thinks he is farther from the _~
lomat sought advice becauso - image than any other candi- :;l
a government-controled radios date.
i
in an Arab country _poured ~ I[' THE election were held
out a steady stream of via todax and all severi candi-
~ lent abuse of the west. The dates vdere permitted to run,.
diplomat, fearing for. the ~ Nixon would be -the first `
safer of American personnel, ~ choice df one out of every ,
Y three voters. But he would r~
was considering asking Wash' ~~ ~ r Xhe let choice ol~
Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP75-0000180004001000 -3
~an~rnue8,
ington to close the emission: "`
But a psychological analy- "~
sis of the situation showed ,
~~. that the threatening words '
were just the way the
Arabs expressed themselves
in public and did not imply
': actual hostile intention.
' Psychologists are na:. only
~ influencing our foreign policy,
they are powerful puppeteers
' behind the domestic political
 Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP75-000018000400100055-3
,~
~ -more than one 6iit of every ,f a~ome Psychologists can g?t;
four voters. carried away with their abili-~
Of John h'. IC c n n e d y , ties, like the author of best-~
Yankelovich said at the time, ~ selling psychology books. whop
"Apart from a~eligion, most ad~dsed a mother after a 14-~
people's personal feelings to-' minute interview that her,
ward Kennedy are extraordi- ]L-year-old son "had holes in'
Warily warm and friendly. ~ his head and would grow up:?
There is far less hostility to- l to be in and out of jails and'
ward him as a person than mental institutions."
to Nixon and Adlai Stevenson. The majority of psychola~
Kennedy rates vetq high on ~ fists are trying to do a good;
some of the 'ideal' Presiden- ;Job. They have gone thru long
.tial qualities. To mast of ~niu? +. Years of training for less:
voters Kennedy has a really ~ monetary reward than other;
human touch; he is seen as ~ p~'ofessionals with equal or,.
a strong man of action with 1 c s s preparatory require-
? deep inner convictions and as menu. ?
nonpartisan. .. , But he Ut,*T, AS the psychologists
rates lowest of all the candi- , gain understanding of our be-
dates in experience, particu= ' havior and -our society as a'
.laxly in foreign. affairs." -whole they do gain a certain;
Of coarse, it can't be ; amount of power. Their word:
proven, but whether or not is often taken with blind;
Nixon and Kennedy flaw the faith. -
` ""`"""'?' 1"""" "??, ""y ~ "But the idea that mah will
tid sezm to be influenced by ~ be controled by psyehologlsts~
is a product o! the imagina-~
KI;Nhii;DY, whom voters lion of the computer age,"?
rated. , "low .ot} experience, says Dr. Samuel Kutash,~
surrounded h I'm s e 1 f with ~ chief of psychological service
_ _ !: of tha VE+tnranc aAmin~etre
helped to combat the per- , "The study of .people cani
ceived inexperience. ~ never be reduced to a me-_
`~~ lions to meet the great issues, !? will make them do what you!
! want them to do. That is why,
especially the foreign-policy;. human liberty has always re-?
~~ issues. ~ ~ established itself.
`. So psychologists are in a ~, "There is no doubt that:.
sense truly magicians of the ~; psychology sometimes over-~
mind. They can manipulate ~ sells itself, but it can con-
~~ us without our ever kpowing ~? tribute a great deal to huma~
t ~ happiness."
it. - ,
Psychologists can deviser ICUTASH SAID a psycholo-~
~ tests to estimate aperson's' -gist feels he has helped a pex-
intelligence an~ coiirdinat[on,~ son when:. ;
~ but t}ey cannot successfully Vocationally, the person 1
j t e sit one's personality or: making the best use of ~~ia
~ drive. ~ I>otcntals and has found sat=
~ Psychologists can do a~ isfaction and enjoyment in Lisi
great deal of harm.. ~ work.
' A PARENT may argue, Socially, he has- managed
`: with his child's teacher, but himself well in his relation toj
never with tho school s others in the community an
chologist. Psychologists cant at home. ~-
thru mass media, cause guilt Sexually, he has adjust
' feelings among parents or himself to find satisfaction.
swing the pendulum of disci "'~dex socially acceptable cony
_,___ ~___ ___ _..,.~._., ._ .,._ ditions. ?.S
~uu~er. __ _ _ .. ......,__?~ ..., ..., 1
Nixon, on the other hand,, chamcal device, or a method
hnrn ranwn nn hia nnalifica. i' can never be devised. which.
~~
Approved For Release 2003/12/02 :CIA-RDP75-00001 R000400100055~V ~'