Major intelligence failures are usually caused by failures of analysis, not failures of collection. Relevant information is discounted, misinterpreted, ignored, rejected or overlooked because it fails to fit a prevailing mental model or mind-set. Richards J. Heuer, Psychology of Intelligence Analysis Focusing on a single scenario early in an analysis can lead to a mindsetContinue reading “Robert Hanssen Spy Case Illustrates The Difficulty of Overcoming Mindsets”
Tag Archives: mindset
Analysis, Not Opinions
An intelligence analyst may be a subject matter “expert.” This expertise could be derived from years of service, formal education, or intimate knowledge of a topic, such as growing up in the country of his or her assigned portfolio. Still, when it comes to answering an intelligence question, the role of the analyst is toContinue reading “Analysis, Not Opinions”
The Umbrella Man, Part II
This is part II of The Umbrella Man. If you skipped the previous post, it might make more sense if you go back and take a quick look. A few years ago, I was reviewing CCTV images in relation to a suspicious incident. The picture quality was low and there was no audio. As IContinue reading “The Umbrella Man, Part II”
The Intelligence Shop 