Operational Psychology in the Military

This book offers a comprehensive overview of operational psychology in the US military, including its history, ethical debates, and practice.

Whether psychologists can and should aid the U.S. government in hostile actions against its enemies may be the most controversial matter in the history of the healing professions. The military operational psychologists and their supporters advance the position that contributing to national security operations, through consulting to the government as the identified client, fulfils their ethical mandate to serve individuals and society. The peace psychologists and their supporters, on the other hand, denounce the military operational psychologists and their supporters as perverting professional ethics, and suggest providing ethical and moral cover for detainee abuses may be tantamount to war crimes. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the military and peace psychology positions, including their major publications and the evidence they present in support of their positions, one position alongside the other, and the legal, ethical, and psychological practice controversies. Each chapter concludes with a commentary from leading military and peace psychology voices, many of whom were directly embroiled in the controversies.

This book will be of much interest to students of military studies, psychology, public policy, law, and ethics.