Evolution of the cognitive dimension of international rivalry in the late 20 – first quarter of the 21 century

<jats:p>The article examines the evolution of the cognitive dimension of international rivalry from the end of the Cold War to the first quarter of the 21 century. It traces changes in the forms and mechanisms of informational and psychological influence amid the transformation of the international security environment and the development of global communications, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence technologies. The emergence of the concepts of “new wars,” “war amongst the people,” hybrid warfare, and the “gray zone,” as well as the development of strategic narratives and the gradual recognition of the cognitive dimension in the doctrinal approaches of the United States, NATO, China, and russia, are examined. Using the annexation of Crimea in 2014, information confrontation during the COVID-19 pandemic, russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and Chinese influence on Taiwan as examples, the article demonstrates changes in the practical application of cognitive instruments. The purpose of the article is to examine the evolution of the cognitive dimension of international rivalry from the end of the Cold War to the first quarter of the 21 century, to identify the main stages and factors of its transformation, and to determine how the development of communication and digital technologies has changed the forms and mechanisms of cognitive influence. The source base consists of doctrinal and conceptual documents of the United States and NATO, materials of the European Union and international organizations, analytical studies, and scholarly works on information operations, strategic communications, and cognitive warfare. The methodological framework is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, consistency, and comprehensiveness; the study employs the problem-chronological and comparative methods, as well as analysis, synthesis, and generalization. The scientific novelty lies in the problem-chronological examination of the emergence and development of the cognitive dimension of international rivalry during the post-Cold War period. The main stages of its development are identified: the growing role of global media and information influence in the 1990s; the spread of hybrid forms of warfare, strategic narratives, and digital platforms in the 2000s–2010s; and the conceptualization of cognitive warfare together with the expansion of automated and personalized influence in the first half of the 2020s. The article demonstrates the relationship between technological changes in the information environment and the gradual transition from the informational support of political and military actions to targeted influence on perception, judgment, trust, and decision-making processes. Conclusions. During the period under study, the cognitive dimension gradually developed into an enduring component of international rivalry. Its evolution was closely related to changes in the nature of conflicts and the development of mass communication: from global television networks in the 1990s to social media, algorithmic systems, and generative artificial intelligence in the first half of the 2020s. The experience of international crises and conflicts demonstrates both the increasing scale and the growing complexity of mechanisms used to influence perception and decision-making. The incorporation of the concepts of cognitive warfare, cognitive superiority, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference into the conceptual documents of NATO and the European Union reflects the institutionalization of changes that had accumulated over the preceding decades. Keywords: cognitive warfare, cognitive operations, international rivalry, information operations, hybrid warfare, digital technologies, strategic communications.</jats:p>