In that time, he worked for the United States Office of War Information (OWI) during World War II, conducted several cross-cultural analyses and developed conflict resolution strategies in Africa and other conflict zones from the 1960s through the 80s, also publishing several compilations of African poetry during that time, and pioneered other works in psychology and philosophy up to the end of his long and prolific career.
The book represented an effort to illuminate the process by which propaganda changed attitudes, with a view toward helping to induce some resistance to the phenomenon, concluding with a survey of such leading propagandists as Ivy Lee, Edward Bernays, and the Communist Party, and explored newspaper, radio, movies, and other channels of communication.
[3] As Nazi Germany grew in strength, Doob sought to raise awareness among scholars, government officials, and the general public to increasing foreign propaganda.
He also wrote articles on aggression and frustration, attitudes, communication, and persuasion, before moving into cross-cultural analyses of developing countries and investigating previously unexplored topics in psychology.
In an essay he wrote in 1989, Doob came to believe a clear-cut definition of propaganda was neither possible nor desirable because of the complexity of issues related to behavior in society and differences in times and cultures.
[citation needed] The essential ingredients of successful propaganda, for Doob, contained three elements: repetition, cultural congruence, and flattery.
[citation needed] Utilizing these three components, if the target is known and objectives clear, then the right acts combined with the right words, at the right time, can carry tremendous leverage.
In the process of research, however, Doob brought to light the organic relationship that exists between modes of communication systems and the development of cultures and their psychology.
He worked on developing scales of assaying psychological modernization amongst tribal societies in Africa, concluding that acculturation tends to lead to increased aggression and discontent[11] and producing one of the most comprehensive lists of African communicative forms that exists to this day.
John Burton, Doob, and Herbert Kelman, among others, conducted "controlled communication" or problem solving workshops with high-level representatives of groups involved in protracted communal disputes in these societies.
[13] Nick is a documentary director, cinematographer, producer, and editor known for his work on Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl, Down from the Mountain, Simple as Water, Kings of Pastry, Al Franken: God Spoke, American Hollow, and others.