Some emotional considerations in cyber conflict

One of the most neglected and important aspects of cyber conflict involves the role of emotions in decision-making and its potential influence on the cyber domain in particular. This paper constitutes an initial attempt to examine some of the policy implications of neglecting or omitting emotional factors from our understanding of decision-making in the cyber realm. Several elements of cyber conflict, including secrecy, overlap with other kinds of conflict, while other aspects, such as the speed of computation, present unique and novel challenges. This discussion focuses on cyber conflict. Because the effects of emotion on judgement and decision-making, as well as behaviour, are not specific to the realm of cyberspace, this examination begins with a broader discussion of more recent literature in psychology and neuroscience on the effects of emotion on both choice and action. It then proceeds with a more detailed examination of the influence of specific emotions on decision-making in cyber conflict. It concludes with some of the possible political implications that follow from a fuller recognition of the role of emotions on conflict. An understanding of the role of human emotion in decision-making is essential to achieve effective and accurate policy in the cyber realm.