Psychological Warfare

The secret story of how American minds were manipulated during the 2016 election campaign and how Donald Trump’s backers are making money off it.

Psychologist Michal Kosinski switched on the TV in his Zurich hotel room on the morning of November ninth. The headlines were all about Donald Trump’s against-all-odds win in the U.S. presidential election. The news filled the Polish-born academic with dread, Kosinski told Das Magazine. The 34-year-old psychologist was sure of one thing: the scientific model he had created helped elect Trump.

Kosinski is a pioneer in the field of psychometry. It’s the science of predicting behavior using a psychological profile gleaned from social media activity. There are five criteria which analysts use to define your personality called the OCEAN model.

• Openness to new ideas and learning.

• Conscientiousness is a measure of your reliability, promptness and organization.

• Extraversion measures openness and sociability.

• Agreeableness refers to your kindness, empathy …