Psychological Dimensions of Drone Warfare

Abstract

The use of weaponized drones or “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs) has become increasingly widespread and controversial over the past few decades. The current paper reviews the state of the research regarding the potential psychosocial impact of weaponized drones on operators and target populations and communities. It is concluded that research regarding the impact of drones in the psychological literature remains limited and most discussion of drones’ impact has taken place in the public policy and legal/ethical spheres, often by entities invested in condoning or condemning the use of drones. The limited available data addresses potential new challenges to the well-being of drone operators, factors influencing decision making regarding the use of drones, and the impact on target communities. The current paper neither condones nor condemns the use of drones, but is advanced as a state of the research and a call for additional objective and empirical analysis on this relatively new form of warfare. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.