MODERN MANIPULATION TECHNOLOGIES INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION

Abstract

In the era of informational confrontation and the development of the information society, the study of manipulative influence technologies on public opinion holds a prominent place in the academic research of political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, journalists, and specialists in information security and digital technologies. Verbal and non-verbal techniques of influencing human consciousness and the subconscious have been studied for the past one and a half centuries. However, the consequences of these communicative processes remain insufficiently explored and thus require thorough theoretical and practical analysis – a necessity that becomes increasingly urgent amid the growing use of manipulative techniques in both traditional mass media and social networks. The issue of the role and significance of informational influence exerted by the media in shaping public opinion remains a constant focus of both Ukrainian and international scholars. Mass media are increasingly shifting away from the task of informing audiences and are instead broadcasting the views of politicians, state officials, representatives of civic organizations, or the opposition to the broader public – effectively transforming information dissemination into manipulation.In the context of ongoing informational confrontation, monitoring media content for manipulative materials allows researchers to assess the degree of influence on citizens' consciousness. Each year, the analysis of technologies used to influence public opinion becomes more advanced and accessible, and thus is recognized as one of the strategic priorities of the internal information policy of most countries worldwide, including Ukraine.By employing both empirical and theoretical methods, the authors not only described and analyzed the most widespread techniques of influencing public opinion but also established that such influence is exercised based on a hierarchical model. The use of manipulative technologies entails not only shaping attitudes toward specific ideas, events, or individuals in particular contexts, but also influencing value systems and belief structures. These technologies are applied not only to discredit socio-political institutions, but also to maintain internal order within the state.