Inherent bad faith model

{{Short description|Theory in political psychology}}

The inherent bad faith model of information processing is a theory in political psychology that was first put forth by Ole Holsti to explain the relationship between John Foster Dulles's beliefs and model of information processing.{{cite journal |jstor = 3791139|title = The "Inherent Bad Faith Model" Reconsidered: Dulles, Kennedy, and Kissinger|journal = Political Psychology|volume = 3|issue = 3/4|pages = 1–33|last1 = Stuart|first1 = Douglas|last2 = Starr|first2 = Harvey|year = 1981|doi = 10.2307/3791139}}

It is the most widely studied model of one's opponent.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y0GexwEACAAJ |quote=...the most widely studied is the inherent bad faith model of one’s opponent...|title=The Handbook of Social Psychology|isbn=9780195213768|last1=Gilbert|first1=Daniel|year=1998|publisher=McGraw-Hill }} A state is presumed to be implacably hostile, and contra-indicators of that are dismissed as propaganda ploys or signs of weakness or otherwise ignored. Examples are Dulles's position on the Soviet Union and Israel's initial position on the Palestine Liberation Organization.