Part IV: Human Psychology and Morale

# PART-IV HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY AND MORALE SEC ## 1: MAN MANAGEMENT AND WELFARE ### General - Man management has always held a position of considerable importance in Indian Army. - Welfare is that aspect of leader’s duty that keeps the mind of his man free from personal worries and puts them in the righ...

# PART-IV HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY AND MORALE SEC ## 1: MAN MANAGEMENT AND WELFARE ### General - Man management has always held a position of considerable importance in Indian Army. - Welfare is that aspect of leader’s duty that keeps the mind of his man free from personal worries and puts them in the right frame of mind to carry out their tasks efficiently and cheerfully. - The aim of welfare in the army is to strengthen the soldiers' morale by providing for spiritual, mental and physical needs, so that he is always ready to fight and give off his best willingly. - Welfare should link officers and men together in a bond of mutual friendship and respect, which will stand the rigors of war. - The IMA credo is: “The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own easy comfort and safety come last always and every time.” ### Question 1 Most of our Army units are committed on our borders where the living conditions are difficult. Relief of unit also takes place at least after three years. Welfare of men therefore, assumes greater important. In context of above\- - What do you understand by welfare? - How can it be organised specially in border areas? - What is the contribution of welfare to morale? ### Answer 1 - Welfare is that aspect of a leader’s duty that keeps the mind of his men free from personal worries and puts them in the right frame of mind to carry out their tasks efficiently and cheerfully. The main aim of welfare in the army is: - To strengthen the soldier morale by providing for spiritual, mental and physical needs, so that he is always ready to fight and give off his best willingly. - To link officers and men together in a bond of mutual friendship and respect, which will stand the rigors of war. - Guiding principle for organising of welfare in the unit are: - Welfare of men *is the first duty of an officer and a leader*. - Welfare should satisfy the soldier's need as a human being as much as possible i.e., his physical, mental and spiritual needs. - Good welfare is not pampering, but treating men as responsible human beings. Welfare therefore should not be at the cost of discipline. - Boredom is the worst enemy of Army's morale. - The following are the some of the major points which should be attended to by unit commanders - Good nourishing food, properly cooked and served. - Hygienic living conditions. - Adequate rest. - Physical fitness of all ranks. - Medical attention. - Recreation including cinema shows, variety programmes, sports and games. - Regular leave whenever possible. - Prompt publication of casualties and correct settlement of accounts. - Help in personal problems. - Redressal of grievances. - Good canteen facilities. - Maintenance of self-respect of the individuals by correct treatment of men by officers, JCOs and NCOs. - Good postal facilities. - Organising turnover of personal between isolated posts and headquarters. - Education and religious training. - Proper arrangements for cremation and burial of the dead. ### Question 2 Man management is a word of common usage in the Army today. What is meant by it and what are the attributes of good man management? ### Answer 2 - It is the practical day to day application of the actual task of handling, men and of the theory of military leadership. - Man management is the result of good leadership. - It is extremely important because a soldier takes long to train and cannot be replaced easily. ### Attributes of Good Man Management - **Relationship between Officers and Men.** The two essentials are mutual confidence and mutual respect. These can be achieved by being fair, firm and friendly on the part of officers. - **The following are essential :-** - Avoid familiarity and bad temper. - Be cheerful. - Trust your subordinates. - Avoid Sarcasm. - Give praise where due. - Accept advice. - Don't cover ignorance by bluff. - **Knowledge of Men.** Mutual confidence and respect must be based on personal knowledge. The leader must know his men and the details of their background, viz:- - Know the names, their background and their problems. - Study their mental and physical characteristics and use them as a guide while tasking. - **Personal Efficiency.** Leader must be better informed, more professionally efficient and be able to do better than the man in everything he asks his troops to do. Above all he must be an example to his men. - **Popularity and Discipline.** The leader must not seek popularity. There should be no compromise on discipline matters. - **Unity of Command.** Ensure that you identify yourself *with the men*. The chain of command should be followed. - **Information.** Keep the troops well informed. - **Welfare.** Due attention must be paid to all aspects of welfare covering health, messing, accommodation, amenities, recreation, leave, pay and allowances, promotion and personal problems. - **Putting the Troops Interest First.** One of the important causes of maladjustment is a form of frustration, as a result of indl needs not being looked after. - **The Relationship with JCOs/NCOs.** The leader must ensure that he maintains correct relationship with JCOs and NCOs and further ensure that they also know the principle of man management. These contribute towards establishment of due authority and prestige in the chain of command. ### Question 3 Good quality of life is important for high morale and motivation. What measures can be taken to improve quality of life in the Army? ### Answer 3 - **General.** Motivation pertains to the individual soldier whereas morale is collective pay off in a subunit/unit. High levels of individual motivation will build up high level of collective morale. - **Motivation** is based on three factors viz. - Material. - Intellectual. - Spiritual. - The material factor forms the basis of military motivation for the Army. This has been mistaken or misunderstood for luxurious scales of pay and prerequisites generally associated with the commercial sector. In the Army the material factor refers to the essential resources necessary to establish, maintain and enhance the basic quality of life. With increased awareness and aspirations amongst all ranks the basic quality of life has to be accorded significant status and the army as an org, as well as, commanders at all levels have to spare no efforts to mitigate administrative shortages as well as turbulence of army life. - **Essentials of Good Quality of Life.** The individual soldier has some basic needs which need to be satisfied i.e:- - Physiological - Pay, accomplishment, working environment and family life. - Social - Good standing and respect in the community. - Security - Terms and conditions of service - Self-Esteem - Honour, dignity and self-respect - Job challenge - Opportunities for individual initiative & responsibility. - **Measures to Improve Quality of Life.** The student should highlight the following aspects :- - Time with family. - Amenities like transport, cinema, picnics etc. - Good working environment. - Treatment of subordinates. - Terms and conditions of service. - Pay and allowances. - Education facilities for children. - Availability of books, periodicals and newspaper. - Availability of subsidised rations, vegetable, milk etc. - Uphold the dignity of a soldier. - Availability and study of accomplishment to include water, furniture etc. Do not depend totally on MES. Regiment funds should also be spent. ### Question 4 There has been an increase in suicide and fratricide cases in the units deployed in field. What actions will you institute to guard against such eventually in the battalion? ### Answer 4 The rising trend of suicide cases in the Army more so in field *is a cause of great concern which needs to be addressed at all levels to prevent their occurrence*. Following actions may be instituted at unit level:- - Measures to identify individual facing problems of adjustment in professional and personal fields. - Buddy system be organised in unit to confide problems to his Buddy thus help in his early identification. - Strengthen reporting procedure/feedback system at Sub Unit/unit level. - Ensure effective Officer-Man relationship. - Create a conducive environment in unit, facilitating easy accessibility to Officers, JCOs in unit. - Regimental drills of Sainik Sammelans & interviewing personnel going out/coming back from leave. - Form a team of selected NCOs and JCOs to discern & identifying affected individual for counseling and resolving their personal problems though Command channel. - Arrange medical treatment by a psychiatrist. - Periodic lectures by RMOs at unit level and psychiatrists at formation/ station level. - Foster greater camaraderie and regimentation. - Increase self-confidence and motivation of troops. - Regular conduct of PT, games, recreational activities and Roll Call at unit/sub unit level not only help in releasing of mental tension/stress, and they help in early identification of affected individuals. ### Question 5 Recently there has been an alarming increase in officers and men going to the courts for redressal of grievances/problems. What in your opinion are the reasons for this trend? ### Answer 5 The rapid pace of socio-economic changes have affected the Armed forces personnel to almost the same degree as the other factions of the society. The spiritual values are fast changing to yield place to a newer sense of materialistic values. The material wants have increased and this has resulted in dissatisfaction which arises out of not being able to keep up with his civil counterparts. The concept of welfare state has also affected the perception of individuals. Coupled with these is the factor of careerism and high ambitions pursued/cherished by personnel. All these have resulted in number of personnel going to the courts for various reasons to get favourable decisions. ### Reasons for Increase. Some of the reasons are as under:- - Pyramidal structure of the Army and therefore supersession of even competent people. - Due to resources crunch no expansion of Armed forces resulting in lesser promotion prospects. - Better employment avenues available outside. - Perceived mismanagement of career of all ranks including officers and ignorance on the part of individuals regarding implication of various rules/ regulations/ employment/ postings. - Public Relation and socialisation at times take precedence over competence and hard work. - Personal favour in some cases yields out-of-proportion results. - Sycophancy. - One-up-manship succeeds in few cases. - Procedure for redressal within the Army is complicated and unlikely to satisfy the individual. - Delay in redressal. - The present sets of values, high ambition and materialistic norms prevalent in the society have eroded the older value system and have left people dissatisfied with whatever they get. - Some problems have crept into our system also which combined with other factors has led to increase in persons going to court for favourable decisions. ### Question 6 To be able to win the confidence of your men *you must observe certain important leadership principles, which apply to all situations, irrespective of the size and nature of your command*. Enumerate these principles. ### Answer 6 In order to develop the will to lead and to instill confidence in the men, certain principles must be observed. These principles apply to all situations irrespective of the size and nature of the command and the type of men who compose it. These are:- - Know yourself *and strive for improvement*. - Know your job. - Know your men *and attend to their welfare*. - Keep your men informed. - Ensure that any task given by you, is understood, supervised and completed. - Set an example. - Train your men to function as a team. - Seek responsibility. - Make sound and timely decisions. - Accept responsibilities for your decisions. - Employ your command according to its capabilities. # SEC 2: HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY AND MORALE ## Introduction - Army is manpower predominant org. - Man management, understanding of human psychology and morale has always held a position of considerable importance in our Army. - The old adage that it is not the gun *but the man behind the gun who matters* was never truer that what it is today. - Also due to the rapid rate of change in our socio-economic status, commander at all level face a far more complex and varied situation in man management as compared to their counterp art in the pre-independence period. - Along with the order understanding and knowledge of *Geneva Convention and Human Rights* is also relevant be known to commanders at all levels. ## IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS : HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY AND MORALE ### Question 1 Military morale is often defined as enthusiasm and zest, the spirit of readiness for new experiences and activities, the opposite of apathy and yet something different from aggression and anger. State in point form with a brief explanation, conditions both physical *and psychology, that aid military morale and help to instill enthusiasm and zest into the performance of duty.* ### Answer 1 - Morale is an emotional attitude and in simple words means wanting to do what you have to do. Performing a job reluctantly is termed as low morale. Good morale will instill enthusiasm and zest to carry out an allotted task and performance of duties. It is not a constant attitude and will vary with the conditions, both physical and psychological that aid military morale and help to add zest to the performance of duty. The same are discussed in succeeding paragraphs. ## Factors Affecting Morale - **Food.** If the need of troops in r/o food and water are not satisfied, their morale goes down. Men tend to become irritable and jittery. Well trained and experienced troops are not seriously affected by hunger till it reaches a severe stage. But provision of hot cooked meal is really morale boosting and all- out effort must be made to provide such food for the men in battle. - **Fatigue and Sleeplessness.** A tired and sleepy soldier is an irritable man, readily exasperated, quick to anger and easily frightened. His morale is low. Fatigue and lack of sleep hits officers as well as men. - **Realistic News.** Every soldier needs news and especially good news. Bad news is better than uncertainty. He must be kept information as to how the war is progress. It is not a must that defeat will lower morale. In the US, morale suddenly rose on the reported disaster of Pearl Harbour. - **For the same reason troops should be given maximum information about the military situation in which they find themselves.** They must know about enemy weapons, tactical and habits. Ignorance of such facts, sometimes, makes troops panic. - **Contact with Family.** Men need letters from home. Not only do they want reassurance of love and affection from their near and dear ones at home, but they also want to know everyt hing, that is, they want to hear that their country is backing their effort, that everything is going all right. During war, they need news about the happenings at home that the government is doing a lot for them and their families and in casualties of loss of life/limb it will be taken care. - **Recreation.** Boredom is the enemy of morale and variety its friend. As a soldier is supposed to perform monotonous duties, it is a must that there is leisure in soldier's life. Books, magazines, newspapers, radio, movies are some of the ways of entertainment. Sports and competitions play a very important part. - **Rest.** Out passes and leave are invaluable. - **Leadership.** Because of his unique and dominant position, the leader of a unit can make or break its morale. That is because he has power and the responsibility that goes with power. Men can remain hungry and can still have high morale, if they know that their leader shares these difficulties with them and is constantly working for them. They can face death at his command if they are sure that death is necessary for victory, *if they know that he is competent and willing to lead the way into danger*. - **A capricious, selfish leader, who commands w/o serving, who treats his men as machines for accolades can never build good morale.** So the leader should think most about his men and their needs, identifying himself with them. - **Religion.** All those who have seen operations have brought out that trust in God and belief and some kind of immortality is a greater supporter of morale. Men who have faith in the power of prayer find that it works for them, gives them will to fight. Leaders must support religious faith, provide religious teachers to administer to the spiritual needs and opportunities for religious observances amongst men. ## Control of Morale - If the leader understands and appreciates all the factors affecting morale discussed above, he is in a position to control morale and build it in his unit. - The leader needs, however, to be also able to assess morale. He needs to know the indicators of good morale and to give special attention to them. He should find out, at first hand if possible, what his men need, to build their morale. The men should be able to talk to their leaders, to tell them what is in their mind. - The leader must ensure that his men get what they need, or if that is not possible, then get an explanation for why they must stay w/o it. - A good leader has no difficulty *in discerning the indicators of good morale*. They include low rates of desertions and AW L, malingerers, casualties of venereal diseases and civilian arrests, of careless loss of eqpt or damage to it, of slackness in carrying our orders and requests for transfer. - In war, they are still other indicators of morale, If the number of stragglers, the frequent abandonment of eqpt or of wasteful use of ammunition, supplies, or insubordination, desertion, self-inflicted injuries and so on, *begin to appear with any regularity, then a seriously poor state of morale is indicated*. Morale is vital in every military unit. ### Question 2 The leader must know his men, understand and be loyal to them, work with them and for them. What are the motivational factors that you as a leader would use towards morale building and welding your command into a battle winning team during an operation? ### Answer 2 - Even today, as in battles of yore, it is the man of flesh and blood who is behind the machine to fight. More a *man is motivated, better will he excel in fighting even in adverse circumstances.* Rapid changes in socio-economic environment have their effects on the fighting men values and motives. Hence there is a definite reqmt to have a look at the aspirations and needs of our men. - **Motivation of men to perform better is affected by:-** - Individual interest, values, attitudes and beliefs. - Factors relating to job and work culture and environment, i.e., variety and important of tasks, the work group, rules, procedures and nature of leadership. - Thus, a leader should be able to, motivate his men to the extent that they combine in themselves the right mix of men and task-entered orientation. Some aspects which will help motivate the men and weld the command into a cohesive, battle winning team are given below:- - Personal recognition. - Praise is much more effective for motivation then blame. If the man is aware that the leader has watched him and is pleased, he will be motivated enough to do better. - Criticism. A healthy criticism is always welcome even if the job is done poorly. At the same time, leaders should not criticise the individual but the job. Moreover criticism should never be done in public. - Briefing. A leader should be appointed and clear while briefing men and letting them, know what is expected of them. His men have the right to know exactly what is reqd of them. - High standards of training ensures that reaction to situation is automatic and without fear. The leader should train his men to expect surprises and reverses. The men must know and learn this principle, so that they can react spontaneously to the imponderables of war. - The leaders would have in mind the ill effects of mental stress and strains. He should encourage his men in *all ways that will help them to stand boldly in combat*. - The leader should plan activity for his men to drive/drain fear and panic and teach them the right attitude towards death. - The leader must try and give his men the attitude of perpetual offensiveness to develop an aggressive spirit in *all tasks that they undertake*. - A good leader adapts his way of command to his subordinates. A few word *of command may suffice for one man, whereas others may require a more detailed explanation*. - The knowledge that in the event of his incapacitation or death, he or his family will be well looked after. - The soldier will be motivated if his unit's and regional affinities are invoked arousing his soldierly qualities based on past deeds. - Display of resolute leadership qualities by the officer/JCO cadre through personal examples, instills confidence amongst troops in *the ability of the leadership to lead them to success and look after their well-being*. ### Question 3 Man management is an important aspect in the army for driving the post for an operation or day to day job. Post- independence, the various socio-economic changes in the country have added complexities to man management. Briefly discuss the challenges faced by the army today? ### Answer 3 - **Challenges In The Armed Forces.** The on-going transformation process is ringing the alarm bells for the Military, which finds itself at the bottom of the priorities when bright young men and women choose their careers today. Once coveted professions, the Services today are no longer the desired destination for the highly educated and over ambitious Indian youth. While this is true for the officer cadres, even for the non-officer base, the recruitment patterns have undergone a marked change. Today's recruits are much better educated, aware and aspiring than their predecessors. - The traditional motivators in the Armed Forces have been adversely affected by certain socio-economic developments of the last decade or so. These developments have directly impinged on the Military's ability to fulfill the various “higher” and “lower” order needs, as described in *Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs*, of its constituents. These developments and factors that are challenging the fine fabric of morality and ethics, that weaves leadership, can be understood in following paragraphs. - **Developing India And Its Fast Economic Grow th** It is well known that in the last decade, the fast paced economy and booming markets have had far reaching implications. The youth today find more opportunities of job in civil sector. In contrast to the improving life styles in the civil world, tough working conditions may become a way of life for some in the Services, only to compound the problems caused by family separations and housing shortage. - **The Ethical And Moral Code of Conduct And its implication.** India"s bya post-independence social and economic transformation has been accompanied bya decline in moral and ethical values, as well as a steep fall in standards of private and public conduct. Corruption has engendered deep frustration in society, and the common man, impatient with the present state of affairs, yearns for change. The Indian armed forces, on the other hand, are fortunate that they have always made their own special code of conduct and lived by it. In an environment where scandals, scams and corruption seem like the order of the day across the Nation, the Armed Forces cannot remain completely unaffected. The lure of quick money, fame and creature comforts has trapped many a seasoned soldier, *a moment of weakness thus destroying impeccable reputations built over a lifetime*. - **Damage Caused by Media Activism** A related challenge faced by the armed forces today is the serious damage being inflicted *by the media on the image of the armed forces* when they rush to publish sensational material, including half -truths and even total lies, and brush aside clarifications and denials. Such news have a negative impact on the mind-set of the troops, especially those living in extreme combat situations. This activism of media, publishing stories about Armed Forces and various activities, tarnishes the image of the Forces and living witha tarnished image is not only damaging for self-respect and morale but can also become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Moreover, loss of public esteem has deleterious consequences for our jawans and veterans who live in the midst of the general populace, and have to deal frequently with the civil administration and civilians. - **Transformation In_Warfare Scenario.** Armed Forces today face challenges in multiple domains – sub-conventional (asymmetric), conventional and also in the nuclear domain. The soldier today is fighting an unknown face creating terror around. This unknown face at times turns out to be of a teenage boy or a woman or a happy and friendly looking face. To complete the mission and destroy the enemy is always in the mind of the soldier but *what really challenge him to maintain his moral conduct and ethics in such difficult environment*. Also, maintaining a high motivation levels amongst the followers, in such an environment is one of the biggest challenge placed on young leaders of today. ### Question 4 What are the morale indicators in a unit? ### Answer 4 The morale indicators in a unit are:- - Appearance, personal conduct, standard of military courtesy and personal hygiene of the men of unit. - Response to orders and directions. - Attendance in unit functions and at recreational facilities. - Living conditions. - Eqpt maintenance, job proficiency and eagerness in training. - Quarrelling and spread of rumours. - AW L/OSL casualties, deserters and stragglers. - Malingerers and sick report. - Request for transfers. - Self inflicted wounds. - Damage/loss of eqpt through carelessness. ### Question 5 Success of military leadership in a unit is measurable through well establish parameters. What are these parameters? Briefly explain each of them. ### Answer 5 There are four characteristics of a unit with indicate success or failure of military leadership and can be used to gauge the effectiveness of a unit and ultimate glory. - **Morale.** It is a mental and emotional state which enables an individual to face hardship with endurance and determination. It is a constantly changing factor and is indicated by :- - Keenness and voluntary effort which the men give to their tasks over and above the perfunctory obedience to command and orders. - A basic sense of personal competence founded on confidence in leadership, training, weapons and eqpt. - Pride in the accomplishment of the assigned mission by the individual. - **Espirit-de-Corps.** It is the loyalty, or pride in *and enthusiasm for the unit* shown by its members. It provides group solidarity. It implies regard for other members of the unit. It could be said to be morale of the unit as a whole. - **Discipline.** It is the individual and group attitude that ensures prompt obedience to orders or the initiation of appropriate action in absence of orders. It teaches soldiers to act through inner convictions. Unlike morale this factor is constant and helps soldiers with stand the shock of battles and face difficult situation w/o faltering. - **Proficiency.** It is the technical, tactical and physical ability of the soldiers and the unit to perform the job or the mission. It is a result of good training and is the sum total of the men, in all the jobs welded together by training into a smooth functioning team. ### Question 6 What is efficiency and fatigue? How are they interrelated? ### Answer 6 - Human efficiency is the ratio of output to input. Factors affecting efficiency are :- - Correct/incorrect distribution of work amongst individuals. - Proper rest/lack of it. - Boredom vis-a-vis work. - Physical injuries. - Good physique. - Extremes of climate and weather. - Use of drugs and stimulants. - The efficiency of a unit as a whole depends on having the right man on the right job. It depends on individual efficiency and relationship among the men as well as proper selection, good morale, adequate training and leadership. - Fatigue decreases work output. It causes unreliability that goes with variability of performance and leads to mental blocks. Rest/sleep is essential to get over fatigue. - Fatigue and efficiency are related, *in that more the fatigue less the efficiency and vice-versa*. To increase efficiency a man must be given rest and sleep as well as recreation to refresh his mind and then bring him back to work with enhanced efficiency. ### Question 7 Problem of personal adjustments take place with everyone. What are the special problems which a soldier encounters? ### Answer 7 - Personal adjustment is the psychological side of growing up or becoming mature. Any new situation in life *be it a casualties of new place, new job, marriage or death, personal adjustments have to be made*. In civil life, the change is not very dramatic hence adjustment is easier. - W hen one considers the adjustment of the soldier to meet new reqmts which military service lays down for him, it would be proper to keep in mind the sudden and dramatic change. There are two major types of adjustment a soldier encounters; the first is adjustment *to military life and the second to command*. ### Adjustment to Military Life - On joining the army, a recruit discovers that the freedom of choice left to him has been curtailed. His life is ordered for him from the time *he gets up till he goes to sleep*. There is lack of privacy. A feeling of home sickness occurs as he finds strangers all around him. ### Adjustment to Combat - As the soldier gets nearer to combat new worries develop. Actual conflict is likely to occur then. There is, first of all, the fear of death. Some men will also worry or feel guilty over killing enemy soldiers. There is anxiety of the unknown as the enemy actions cannot be predicted. As he goes further there is loneliness and lack of action (as perceived by soldier) as the enemy cannot be seen. Still later comes the shock of seeing comrades dead. Only well-seasoned soldiers can make the adjustment to combat and even they sometimes break under increased hardship and continued reverses. ### Question 8 Conditioning of troops is a continuous process. In spite of regular and sufficient training, in extreme combat situations or during operations, *certain emotional factors adversely affect the combat potential*. What are these emotions and how can they be overcome? ### Answer 8 - Emotions which adversely affect a unit in combat are fear, anger and panic. - **Fear.** It is an unpleasant emotion involving the whole psychological and nervous system. There is a tendency to withdraw from the scene to avoid the situation. - **Causes.** The basic cause of fear is *the fear of death*. There is also fear of being afraid. Fear is the contagious and is the most apparent cause of stress. - **Control.** - Keep men informed *about the situation* and explain as to what the situation is likely to be and what actions need to be taken. - Inspired by good leadership, confidence in the leader and self stems fear in the troops. - Ensure high standard of training to develop self-confidence and physical fitness. - Tell troops about the cause and keep up their belief in God. - Keep men busy as idle minds are the devil's workshop. Action dispels fear and makes them concentrate on the work in hand. - Show them that enemy is not a super-human, but like them using same weapons and eqpt by showing them captured men/ weapons / eqpt or photos. - **Anger**. It is an emotional response to frustration in which an individual becomes aggressive towards the cause of this emotion. - **Causes.** If a man feels that his freedom of thought or action is threatened, he becomes frustrated. - **Control.** Anger should not be controlled but given a different direction for a positive effect, as anger against the enemy aids in combat since it helps a man to take the offensive. A cool sustained anger may motivate a man successfully for a long period of time. The soldier should be indoctrinated to show him that anger against the enemy is justified and enemy actions have jeopardized the country and put his self-respect in danger. - **Panic.** It is caused by fear as a result of adverse situation. Though formally associated with raw troops, it is not unknown even in seasoned troops when disaster has struck. - **Causes.** The causes may be - Physical - Scarcity of food and water, arms, ammunition and eqpt, evidence or spread of diseases. - Physiological - Hunger, thirst, lack of sleep, depression or exhaustion. - Emotional - Unreasonable or illogical illusion of danger, anxiety, isolation or insecurity. - Leadership - Absence or loss of leadership or bad leadership. - Morale - Low morale. - **Control.** Panic amongst troops can be control by a leader who himself does not yield to panic. He must reason out with men decisively and calmly and explain the situation. Try and make up the scarcities and fulfill the individual needs as given above. Discipline and high morale prevent panic, however, reasons for panic must be taught and explained during training and troops told to expect it but reserve its effect. ### Question 9 Define rumour and propaganda. What is the difference between the two? ### Answer 9 - **Rumour.** It is a word of mouth communication of unconfirmed stories and situations which are generally inaccurate. Thus gossip spreads when secrecy is maintenance due to operational condition, and provides a chance to express an emotion which would otherwise have to be suppressed as it gives satisfaction by relieving pent up feelings. - **Propaganda.** It is the attempt to influence and develop a state of mind which makes it possible to achieve victory *with a minimum expenditure of manpower, time and material*. It is aimed at collapsing the enemy morale and thereby his will to fight. - **Differences.** - Rumours are started by own people whereas propaganda is directed and control by the enemy. - Rumour emerges in times of stress and confusion whereas propaganda is rampant throughout. - Rumour is a result of lack of information whereas propaganda is a result of distorted information. - Rumours are not aimed at anything whereas propaganda is aimed *at bringing down the enemy morale and thereby bring about his defeat*. - Rumours do not have a specific medium, propaganda is beamed by radio, leaflets etc. ### Question 10 What are the reasons for combat isolation? How would you overcome the same? ### Answer 10 ## Combat Isolation - The battlefield is a lonely place. The soldier who is new to combat tends to be unnerved because unlike *what he had imagined, the battlefield is empty with little movement*. There are periodic heavy exchange of fire which enhances the effect of the succeeding periods of quietness. The normal man can steel himself to the chance of death *but the quietness of the battlefield has a depressing effect because of the presence of danger without excitement.* - In his imagination the soldier has built up a picture that danger will come on him suddenly. He imagines situation with himself as the center figure. He thinks that *he will be support by the strength of the unit whose presence he feels around him.* The realities are however, different. He finds himself suddenly, almost alone in danger. This causes a feeling of helplessness which in turn may produce fear. ## Reasons for Combat Isolation - There are many reasons for the feeling of isolation on the battlefield. During training the soldier has grown accustomed to the presence of large number of men and massive mechanized strength close around him, and this increases his confidence. Even the forces of the enemy are made real for him. He thinks of battle as the shock impact of large and visible forces of men and machines. The battle scene in films reinforces this impression. - In the rear areas, troops in great number and considerable quantity of reserve make him feel the power of the army. As he moves forward, what he sees as the strength of the army progressively decreases, until he sees the strength of his own unit. *He has no idea what friendly forces may be moving on the flank.* The first sounds of battle he hears are impersonal and produce no dispersion in the troops around him. - W hen his unit enters the battlefield and comes under fire, the change in the situation becomes dramatic. He had expected to *see action, but sees none.* He sees the eff ect of enemy fire but does not see the enemy. He is now less sure that the fire power and cohesion of the company will steady him in this crisis. - There will be occasions when the battlefield is alive with action and targets are plentiful. The support strength of our own side would also be plainly visible on the flank and rear. *These conditions develop later*. ## Command in Conditions of Combat Isolation - The leadership *must understand the effect of combat isolation*. He should give clear orders on the action he considers appropriate. Absence of orders will further demoralise the men. - In attack, if without orders, the men go to ground under fire and they cann ot see one another, the moral disintegration of that line is for the moment complete. Before the sub-unit can function again, it *must reintegrate* and to do this, communication between the fractions of the sub-unit must be restored. The leadership must take actions to reintegrate his command. He may do this by standing erect and calling on the men to follow him, it never moves as strongly or willingly again. If these halts are repeated, the men become morally spent and the impetus of the attack is lost. ### Question 11 What are the military uses of psychology? ### Answer 11 - **Observation.** The limits of accuracy in perception and the rules for getting the most accurate perception. - **Performance.** Action and movement, the acquisition of skills, efficiency in work and action. - **Selection.** The choice of the right man for the right job. - **Training.** Teaching and learning, the transformation of aptitudes into accomplished skills. - **Personal Adjustments.** The individual's adjustments to military life, his motivation, morale and reaction to stress and fear. - **Social Relations.** Leadership, the relations of people of different regions and customs. - **Opinion and Propaganda.** Assessment of public opinion and attitudes. ### Question 12 What do you understand by psychological mechanisms? ### Answer 12 The immediate consequences of frustration may be varied, but in general the frustrated man tries to overcome the frustration, escape from it, substitute some other goal for the original