Developing and Validating a Preventive Model for Countering Cognitive Warfare: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach Based on Advertising Strategies

Abstract



Concerns over cognitive warfare have grown considerably in recent years, yet relatively little attention has been paid to developing preventive frameworks grounded in advertising strategies. The present study was an attempt to fill this gap by constructing and empirically testing a preventive model designed to counteract cognitive warfare through targeted advertising approaches. To this end, a sequential exploratory mixed‑methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, fifteen media, advertising, and cognitive warfare professionals took part in semi‑structured interviews. The resulting data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which led to the extraction of the principal dimensions and constituents of the proposed advertising model. These qualitative findings then informed the development of a tailor‑made questionnaire, which was subsequently completed by one hundred experts working in relevant fields. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the quantitative data. The results revealed that four dimensions—namely, "analysis of cognitive warfare components," "methods and characteristics," "review of examples," and "performance evaluation and solutions"—had a statistically significant and positive bearing on the performance of advertising strategies. With an R² of 0.387, the model explained close to 39% of the variance in the outcome variable. Fit indices further confirmed that the model performed well across a range of criteria. Taken together, these findings suggest that the proposed framework is not only empirically sound but also practically relevant, offering media policymakers a valuable tool for strengthening societal resilience against emerging cognitive threats.