COMMUNICATIVE TACTIC OF POSITIVE SELF-EVALUATION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS: MARKERS OF REALISATION IN MEDIA DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the manipulative potential of the communicative tactic of positive selfevaluation, which implements the communicative strategy of positive self-presentation in PsyOps in media discourse. The aim of the study is to identify linguistic and extralinguistic markers of the implementation of communicative tactics of positive self-evaluation in PsyOps in media discourse. The object of the study is media discourse, and the subject is linguistic and extralinguistic markers of the implementation of communicative tactics of positive self-evaluation in PsyOps. It has been established that contemporary media discourse is an environment for the actualisation of manipulative influences, which are actively used in the implementation of PsyOps against the Ukrainian audience. In this context, the use of various communicative strategies and tactics has been recorded (for example, communicative strategies of consolidation, positive self-presentation, ritualisation, discrediting, insulting, intimidation, trolling, changing a positive emphasis to a negative one, changing a negative emphasis to a positive one, changing the vector of responsibility, etc.). One of the most common communicative tactics is positive self-evaluation, which is aimed at explicitly praising the subject of influence. It has been established that most often the communicative tactic of positive self-evaluation in PsyOps is implemented through a series of linguistic manipulations (emotional-evaluative vocabulary with a positive connotation at the lexical-semantic level; comparatives and superlatives at the morphological level; complex sentences and simple two-part sentences complicated by homogeneous sentence members at the syntactic level) and extralinguistic manipulations, including pictorial complexes with high affective valence, dynamic video editing, musical accompaniment with an accelerated tempo and emotionally positive colouring (in the case of video). The prospects for research lie in identifying the manipulative potential of other PsyOps communication strategies and tactics, as well as in developing ways to counteract PsyOps in media discourse.