Description

A review of the unclassified literature dealing with psychological deterrents was conducted for the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA). Its purpose was to identify techniques that might be useful in the DNA's Forced-Entry Deterrent Systems (FEDS) Program for psychologically deterring nuclear weapon theft. The review indicates that while human psychological processes (sensory, perceptual and cognitive) can be manipulated by various means, definitive empirical data are lacking which relate directly to deterring nuclear weapon theft. Behavioral impact research should be undertaken by DNA to (1) ascertain the deterrence values of the many techniques identified and (2) test the hypotheses implicit in the FEDS concept.