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ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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When Nothing Breaks but Everything Stops - A Theory of Psychological Sabotage

Authors: Thuemler, Kim Robin;

When Nothing Breaks but Everything Stops - A Theory of Psychological Sabotage

Abstract

Psychological sabotage represents an underexplored dimension of covert action, distinct from traditional sabotage that primarily targets physical systems. This article conceptualises psychological sabotage as deliberate actions designed to induce uncertainty, fear, and operational paralysis, exploiting human cognitive biases and organisational vulnerabilities. Through a qualitative, cross-era, and comparative methodology, the study develops a typology encompassing false evidence, ambiguity-inducing tactics, rumours, contamination claims, decoy devices, and cascading psychological effects. Historical and contemporary case studies—from classical and medieval operations to World War II resistance movements, industrial-era labour disruptions, and post-2000 cyber and hybrid threats—illustrate recurring mechanisms and strategic impacts. The findings demonstrate that psychological sabotage can achieve disproportionately high operational disruption relative to physical damage, highlighting its cost-effectiveness, deniability, and adaptability. Implications for contemporary strategic studies underscore the need to integrate perception-based threats into risk assessments, counterintelligence planning, and cybersecurity frameworks.

Keywords

Strategic studies, Psychological sabotage, Organisational vulnerability, Hybrid warfare, Cognitive bias, Covert action, Cyber sabotage, Operational disruption

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green