Critical Belief Analysis for Security Studies

Critical Belief Analysis for Security Studies is a companion volume to Security Analysis: A Critical-Thinking Approach. Critical Belief Analysis (CBA) is an emerging analytic technique for describing, explaining, and predicting decisions and actions of agents (actors, believers, decision-makers). CBA provides analysts a deeper understanding of agents’ points of view, assumptions, and the webs of belief supporting those points of view and assumptions. CBA also provides a framework for analysts to assess the quality of their final analytic efforts. While this volume is adapted to security studies and foreign policy analysis, the techniques included apply to any social science field analyzing agent decisions and actions. Included is the theoretical foundations of CBA, a CBA user’s manual, and example CBA of the U.S. 2003 decision to invade Iraq.