Analyzing Soviet Images of the United States
A Psychological Theory and Empirical Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6283883 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Richard K Herrmann (Department of Political Science, Ohio State University), Richard Herrmann (0000-0002-4149-8285, The Ohio State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1985 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 665-697 |
| Publication date | 1985-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Conflict Resolution (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0027 • E-ISSN: 1552-8766 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022002785029004008 |
| OpenAlex | W2112670026 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 38 |
Interpretations of Soviet foreign policy often rest on assumptions about Soviet perceptions of the United States. This article presents a method for inferring Soviet perceptions. The effort builds on theories that are related to the analysis of perception in foreign policy decision-making and complements other empirical studies of Soviet statements. The article analyzes Soviet images at two levels: (1) media coverage of four regional conflicts, and (2) Politburo speeches. The media analysis concentrates on four cases—the Horn of Africa 1977-1978, North and South Yemen 1979, Iran 1978-1979, and Afghanistan 1979. The Politburo speeches cover the era of détente 1971-1978. The article finds that the view of the United States that prevails in Moscow resembles a well-known enemy stereotype. The enemy imagery is found to prevail at both levels and indicates a significant perception of threat, and possibly the relevance of an “inherent bad faith” model
Adversary · Epistemology · Foreign policy · French horn · Perception · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Relevance (law · Sociology · Stereotype (UML · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Nuclear Issues and Defense · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
Cognitive Approaches to Foreign Policy Analysis
Understanding Foreign Policy Decision Making
Ignorance, indifference, or incompetence
Psychological advice on foreign policy
Enemy images
Cooperation Among the Nicaraguan Sandinista Factions 1
Perceiving Rogue States
Das Deutschlandbild
Rhetorical strategies and electoral legitimacy in foreign policymaking within competitive authoritarianism
Disarmament, Arms Control, and Peace in the Nuclear Age
Small states and the threat of victimisation
Stereotyped images and role dissonance in the foreign policy of right-wing populist leaders
Problems of Content Analysis in Foreign-Policy Research
The Empirical Challenge of the Cognitive Revolution
Foreign Policy Attitudes toward Islamic Actors
Attitude change
Soviet Involvement in the Middle East
The Cybernetic Theory of Decision
Política entre las naciones
The psychology of interpersonal relations.
Foreign Policy Motivation
Perception and Misperception in International Politics
Perceptions and Behavior in Soviet Foreign Policy
The Soviet Press on Soviet Foreign Policy
From Empire to Nation
Deterrence and Perception
The Sources of American Conduct
The Death of Detente
U.S. Leadership in a Shrinking World
Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s
The Third World in Soviet Military Thought
Soviet Images of America
Foreign Policy Motivation
Misperception in the Arab‐Israeli Conflict
In Afghanistan's Shadow
Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s
Psychological status of the script concept
Soviet Images of the U.S. as Nuclear Adversary 1969–1979
Khrushchev and Brezhnev As Leaders
A New Brezhnev Doctrine
Soviet Politics and Strategy toward the West
When Misperception Matters
Misperception and the Causes of War
The “Lessons” of Vietnam and Soviet Foreign Policy
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
The Soviet Union and the Persian Gulf
Hitler, Roosevelt, and the nature of war propaganda
Words and Deeds in Soviet Foreign Policy
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,38 |
| Citation span | 1986 - 2026 (41) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |