Invasionen av Falklandsöarna 1982 och Kuwait 1990 – mänskligt beteende och/eller dumdristighet?

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the study is to investigate whether two theories can have explanatory power on two real cases – the invasions of the Falkland Islands in 1982 and Kuwait in 1990. There is a theory that can be used by a state to unite a population towards a common goal – diversionary action. This is the basis for this study. To fully understand why this method was used and what made the two states to continue, the two theories – information bias and sunk cost fallacy – are studied. This is to be able to understand the human factor behind decisions of choices. The study is conducted as a case study with congruence analysis in two steps with the theories towards one case at a time. Causal mechanisms, i.e. situations we can analyse and have a direct impact on the outcome, have been identified to reinforce or falsify the theories. The result of the study shows that the human brain is definitely affected and chooses to subjectively interpret the environment from several different aspects such as objectivity, self-confidence and personal interests. Furthermore, the study also shows that authoritarian leaders find it difficult to identify when events are going in the wrong direction as their invested prestige is at stake.