Cognitive Marginality: A Framework For Targeted Manipulation

Abstract

The “Marginal Man” is a foundational concept in social sciences that explores individuals existing between two cultures. This paper extends the concept into the cognitive domain, defining “cognitive marginality” as a state where individuals critically assess conflicting truths. The literature review conducted during this research identifies that there is no consistent framework that connects psychological behaviors to methods of targeted manipulation through information warfare. By exploring psychographic segmentation, cognitive dissonance, and modern information manipulation techniques, this research proposes a framework for identifying when individuals are most susceptible to influence. Applications of this framework could improve information campaigns, enhance detection of manipulation, and bolster defenses against adversarial influence.