Manipulation (psychology): Difference between revisions
important work |
|||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Exploitative type of social influence}} |
|||
'''Psychological manipulation''' is a type of [[social influence]] that aims to change the [[perception]] or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even [[abuse|abusive]] tactics.<ref name=braiker/> By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered [[exploitative]], [[abuse|abusive]], devious, and [[deceptive]]. |
|||
In [[psychology]], '''manipulation''' is defined as an action designed to influence or control another person, usually in an underhanded or unfair manner which facilitates one's personal aims.<ref>Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Manipulation. In Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/manipulation</ref> Methods someone may use to manipulate another person may include seduction, suggestion, [[coercion]], and [[blackmail]] to induce submission.<ref name="APA">{{cite APA Dictionary |title=Manipulation |shortlink=manipulation |access-date=10 October 2021 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Lynam |first1=Donald R. |last2=Vachon |first2=David D. |date=2012 |title=Antisocial personality disorder in DSM-5: Missteps and missed opportunities. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/per0000006 |journal=Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment |language=en |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=483–495 |doi=10.1037/per0000006 |pmid=23106185 |issn=1949-2723}}</ref> Manipulation is generally considered a dishonest form of [[social influence]] as it is used at the expense of others.<ref name="WebMD">{{cite web |title=Signs of Emotional Manipulation |url=https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-emotional-manipulation |access-date=23 November 2020 |website=www.webmd.com |publisher=WebMD |vauthors=Brennan D}}</ref> Barring mental disabilities, humans are inherently capable of manipulative and deceptive behavior, with the main differences being of specific personality characteristics or disorders.<ref>Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2013). ''The H factor of personality: Why some people are manipulative, self-entitled, materialistic, and exploitive—and why it matters for everyone.''</ref><ref>Ekman, P. (2009). Telling lies: Clues to deceit in the marketplace, politics, and marriage (revised edition). WW Norton & Company.</ref><ref>DePaulo, B. M., Kirkendol, S. E., Tang, J., & O'Brien, T. P. (1988). The motivational impairment effect in the communication of deception: Replications and extensions. Journal of nonverbal Behavior, 12, 177-202.</ref><ref>Bursten, B. (1972). The manipulative personality. Archives of general psychiatry, 26(4), 318-321.</ref> |
|||
[[Social influence]] is not necessarily negative. For example, doctors can try to [[persuade]] patients to change unhealthy habits. Social influence is generally perceived to be harmless when it respects the right of the influenced to accept or reject and is not unduly coercive. Depending on the context and motivations, social influence may constitute underhanded manipulation. |
|||
==Differentiation== |
|||
==Requirements for successful manipulation== |
|||
Manipulation differs from general influence and [[persuasion]]. Manipulation, unlike persuasion, typically involves exploiting the vulnerabilities of an individual. Non-manipulative influence is generally perceived to be harmless and it is not seen as unduly coercive to the individual's right of acceptance or rejection of influence.<ref name="Nichols_2020">{{cite web | vauthors = Nichols S |title=The Ethics of Manipulation |url=https://plato.stanford.edu/board.html |access-date=22 March 2020 |website=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy |publisher=Stanford University}}</ref> Persuasion is the ability to move others to a desired action, usually within the context of a specific goal. Persuasion often attempts to influence a person's beliefs, religion, motivations, or behavior. Influence and persuasion are neither positive nor negative, unlike manipulation which is strictly negative.<ref name="Duncan">{{cite web | vauthors = Duncan RD |title=Influence Versus Manipulation: Understand The Difference |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeanduncan/2018/12/21/influence-vs-manipulation-understand-the-difference/?sh=303899ad470c |access-date=21 December 2018 |work=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sinha |first=Ruchi |date=2022-01-26 |title=Are You Being Influenced or Manipulated? |url=https://hbr.org/2022/01/are-you-being-influenced-or-manipulated |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012}}</ref> |
|||
According to [[George K. Simon]], successful psychological manipulation primarily involves the manipulator: |
|||
# concealing [[aggression|aggressive]] intentions and behaviors. |
|||
# knowing the psychological [[vulnerabilities]] of the victim to determine what tactics are likely to be the most effective. |
|||
# having a sufficient level of ruthlessness to have no qualms about causing harm to the victim if necessary. |
|||
==Elements of manipulation== |
|||
Consequently the manipulation is likely to be accomplished through covert aggressive ([[relational aggression|relational aggressive]] or [[passive aggressive]]) means.<ref name=simon>{{Cite book|title=In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People |first=George K|last=Simon |year=1996 |isbn=978-1935166306}} (reference for the entire section</ref> |
|||
While the motivations for manipulation are mostly self-serving, certain styles of social influence can be intended to be to the benefit of others.<ref name="Ngoc_2020" /> Manipulation can be defined as the use of strategies to further personal driven goals at the expense of others and is usually considered antisocial behavior.<ref name="Ngoc_2020" /> [[Pro-social behavior]] is a voluntary act intended to help or benefit another individual or group of individuals and is an important part of [[empathy]].<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Rodriguez LM, Mesurado B, Moreno JE | chapter = Ethical Position, Empathy and Prosocial Behaviour Model: Its Contribution to Prevention and Psychotherapeutic Approaches of Antisocial Disorders |date=2018-11-29 | title = Psychiatry and Neuroscience Update |pages=273–286 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-319-95359-5 |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-95360-1_22 |s2cid=150110593 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Eisenberg N, Miller PA | title = The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 101 | issue = 1 | pages = 91–119 | date = January 1987 | pmid = 3562705 | doi = 10.1037/0033-2909.101.1.91 }}</ref> |
|||
==How manipulators control their victims== |
|||
===According to Braiker=== |
|||
[[Harriet Braiker]]<ref name=braiker>{{Cite book|title=Whos Pulling Your Strings ? How to Break The Cycle of Manipulation |first=Harriet B.|last=Braiker |year=2004 |isbn=0-07-144672-9}}</ref> identified the following basic ways that manipulators control their victims: |
|||
* [[Reinforcement#Positive_and_negative_reinforcement|Positive reinforcement]]: includes [[praise]], [[superficial charm]], superficial [[sympathy]] ([[crocodile tears]]), excessive apologizing, money, approval, gifts, attention, facial expressions such as a forced laugh or smile, and public recognition. |
|||
* [[Reinforcement#Positive_and_negative_reinforcement|Negative reinforcement]]: involves removing one from a negative situation as a reward, e.g. "You won't have to do your homework if you allow me to do this to you." |
|||
*[[Reinforcement#Schedules_of_reinforcement|Intermittent or partial reinforcement]]: Partial or intermittent negative reinforcement can create an effective climate of fear and doubt. Partial or intermittent positive reinforcement can encourage the victim to persist - for example in most forms of gambling, the gambler is likely to win now and again but still lose money overall. |
|||
* [[Punishment (psychology)|Punishment]]: includes nagging, yelling, the silent treatment, intimidation, threats, [[profanity|swearing]], [[emotional blackmail]], the [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]] trip, sulking, crying, and playing the victim. |
|||
* Traumatic one-trial learning: using verbal abuse, explosive anger, or other intimidating behavior to establish dominance or superiority; even one incident of such behavior can [[classical conditioning|condition]] or train victims to avoid upsetting, confronting or contradicting the manipulator. |
|||
Different measures of manipulativeness focus on different aspects or expressions of manipulation and tend to paint slightly different pictures of its predictors. Features such as low empathy, high narcissism, use of self-serving rationalizations, and an interpersonal style marked by high agency (dominance) and low communion (i.e. cold-heartedness) are consistent across measures.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Joshua D. |last2=Gentile |first2=Brittany |last3=Campbell |first3=W. Keith |date=2013-07-01 |title=A Test of the Construct Validity of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2012.742903 |journal=Journal of Personality Assessment |volume=95 |issue=4 |pages=377–387 |doi=10.1080/00223891.2012.742903 |issn=0022-3891 |pmid=23186210|s2cid=36810335 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Grieve |first1=Rachel |last2=Mahar |first2=Doug |date=2010-06-01 |title=The emotional manipulation–psychopathy nexus: Relationships with emotional intelligence, alexithymia and ethical position |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886910000966 |journal=Personality and Individual Differences |language=en |volume=48 |issue=8 |pages=945–950 |doi=10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.028 |issn=0191-8869}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brunell |first1=Amy B. |last2=Buelow |first2=Melissa T. |date=2018-03-01 |title=Homogenous scales of narcissism: Using the psychological entitlement scale, interpersonal exploitativeness scale, and narcissistic grandiosity scale to study narcissism |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886917306864 |journal=Personality and Individual Differences |language=en |volume=123 |pages=182–190 |doi=10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.029 |issn=0191-8869}}</ref> |
|||
===According to Simon=== |
|||
Simon<ref name=simon /> identified the following manipulative techniques:<!--All bulleted information in this section is from Simon's book, needing no further citation--> |
|||
Manipulative behaviors typically exploit the following vulnerabilities: |
|||
* [[lie|Lying]]: It is hard to tell if somebody is lying at the time they do it, although often the truth may be apparent later when it is too late. One way to minimize the chances of being lied to is to understand that some personality types (particularly [[psychopaths]]) are experts at the art of lying and [[cheating]], doing it frequently, and often in subtle ways. |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
* [[Lie#Lying_by_omission|Lying by omission]]: This is a very subtle form of lying by withholding a significant amount of the truth. This technique is also used in [[propaganda]]. |
|||
|- |
|||
it is proven the best lie is surrounded by truth |
|||
!Vulnerability |
|||
!Description |
|||
|- |
|||
| Naïveté or immaturity |
|||
| People who find it too hard to accept the idea that some people are cunning, devious and ruthless or are "in [[denial]]" if they are being taken advantage of. They will acknowledge the fact of being manipulated only if it occurs too often.<ref name="Simon_1996" /> |
|||
|- |
|||
| Over-conscientiousness |
|||
| People who are much harder on themselves than on others often are too willing to give another the benefit of the doubt and see their side of things while blaming themselves for hurting the manipulator.<ref name="Simon_1996" /> |
|||
|- |
|||
| Low self-esteem |
|||
| People who struggle with [[doubt|self-doubting]], lacking in confidence and [[assertiveness]], or chronically unsure of their right to pursue their legitimate wants and needs. They are likely to go on the defensive too easily when challenged by an aggressive personality.<ref name="Simon_1996" /> |
|||
|- |
|||
| Over-intellectualization |
|||
| People who believe that others only do hurtful things when there's some legitimate, understandable reason for manipulation. They might delude themselves into believing that uncovering and understanding all the reasons for the manipulator's behavior will be sufficient to make things different.<ref name="Simon_1996" /> |
|||
|- |
|||
| Emotional dependency |
|||
| People who have a [[submissive]] or dependent personality. The more emotionally dependent a person is, the more vulnerable they are to being exploited and manipulated.<ref name="Simon_1996" /> |
|||
|} |
|||
=== Harriet B. Braiker === |
|||
* [[Denial]]: Manipulator refuses to admit that he or she has done something wrong. |
|||
Harriet B. Braiker identified the following ways that manipulators [[Abusive power and control|control]] their victims:<ref name="Braiker_2004">{{Cite book | vauthors = Braiker HB |title=Who's Pulling Your Strings ? How to Break The Cycle of Manipulation |year=2004 |publisher=McGraw Hill Professional |isbn=978-0-07-144672-3}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Positive reinforcement]]: includes [[praise]], [[superficial charm]], superficial [[sympathy]] ([[crocodile tears]]), excessive [[Apology (act)|apologizing]], money, approval, gifts, attention, facial expressions such as a forced laugh or smile, and public recognition. |
|||
* [[Rationalization (psychology)|Rationalization]]: An excuse made by the manipulator for inappropriate behavior. Rationalization is closely related to [[Spin (public relations)|spin]]. |
|||
* [[Negative reinforcement]]: involves removing one from a negative situation as a reward. |
|||
* [[Gaslighting]]: making someone question their own reality. |
|||
* [[Reinforcement#Intermittent reinforcement schedules|Intermittent or partial reinforcement]]: Partial or intermittent negative reinforcement can create an effective [[climate of fear]] and doubt. Partial or intermittent positive reinforcement can encourage the victim to persist. |
|||
* [[Punishment (psychology)|Punishment]]: includes [[nagging]], yelling, the [[silent treatment]], [[intimidation]], threats, swearing, [[emotional blackmail]], [[guilt trip]]s, sulking, crying, and [[playing the victim]]. |
|||
* Traumatic one-trial learning: using [[verbal abuse]], explosive anger, or other intimidating behavior to establish dominance or superiority; even one incident of such behavior can [[Classical conditioning|condition]] or train victims to avoid upsetting, confronting or contradicting the manipulator. |
|||
According to Braiker, manipulators exploit the following vulnerabilities (buttons) that may exist in victims:<ref name="Braiker_2004" /> |
|||
* [[minimisation (psychology)|Minimization]]: This is a type of denial coupled with rationalization. The manipulator asserts that his or her behavior is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting, for example saying that a taunt or insult was only a joke. |
|||
* The desire to please |
|||
* Selective inattention or selective [[attention]]: Manipulator refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract from his or her agenda, saying things like "I don't want to hear it". |
|||
* Addiction to earning the approval and acceptance of others |
|||
* Emotophobia (fear of negative emotion; ''i.e.'' a fear of expressing anger, frustration or disapproval) |
|||
* A lack of [[assertiveness]] and ability to say no |
|||
* A blurry sense of identity (with soft [[personal boundaries]]) |
|||
* Low [[Self-sufficiency|self-reliance]] |
|||
* Possessing an external [[locus of control]] |
|||
Manipulators can have various possible motivations, including but not limited to:<ref name="Braiker_2004" /> |
|||
* [[Distraction|Diversion]]: Manipulator not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation onto another topic. |
|||
* The need to advance their own purposes and personal gain at (virtually any) cost to others |
|||
* [[Evasion (ethics)|Evasion]]: Similar to diversion but giving irrelevant, rambling, vague responses, [[weasel words]]. |
|||
* A strong need to attain feelings of [[wikt:power|power]] and superiority in relationships with others - compare megalomania (associated with, for example, [[narcissistic personality disorder]])<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Giovacchini PL |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xRMpAAAAYAAJ |title=Treatment of Primitive Mental States |publisher=Jason Aronson |year=1996 |isbn=9781568218083 |series=Master work series |location=Northvale, New Jersey |publication-date=1996 |page=24 |quote=These are early ego states that are characterized by megalomanic feelings. Freud's (1914a) description of 'his majesty, the baby' well illustrates this situation of omnipotent manipulation. |access-date=24 July 2021}}</ref> |
|||
* A want and need to feel in control |
|||
* A desire to gain a feeling of power over others in order to raise their perception of [[self-esteem]] |
|||
* Boredom, or growing tired of one's surroundings; seeing manipulation as a game more than hurting others |
|||
* Covert agendas, criminal or otherwise, including financial manipulation (often seen when intentionally targeting the elderly or unsuspecting, unprotected wealthy for the sole purpose of obtaining victims' financial assets) |
|||
* Not identifying with underlying emotions (including experiencing [[Fear of commitment|commitment phobia]]), and subsequent rationalization (offenders do not manipulate consciously, but rather try to convince themselves of the invalidity of their own emotions) |
|||
* A lack of [[self-control]] over impulsive and anti-social behaviour - leading to pre-emptive or reactionary manipulation to maintain image |
|||
=== George K. Simon === |
|||
* Covert [[intimidation]]: Manipulator throwing the victim onto the defensive by using veiled (subtle, indirect or implied) threats. |
|||
According to psychology author [[George K. Simon]], successful psychological manipulation primarily involves the manipulator:<ref name="Simon_1996">{{Cite book | vauthors = Simon GK |title=In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People |year=1996 |publisher=Parkhurst Brothers, Incorporated, Publishers |isbn=978-1-935166-30-6}} (reference for the entire section)</ref> |
|||
* Concealing [[Aggression|aggressive]] intentions and behaviors and being affable. |
|||
* [[Guilt (emotion)|Guilt]] tripping: A special kind of intimidation tactic. A manipulator suggests to the [[conscientious]] victim that he or she does not care enough, is too selfish or has it easy. This usually results in the victim feeling bad, keeping them in a [[doubt|self-doubting]], [[anxious]] and [[submissive]] position. |
|||
* Knowing the psychological [[vulnerabilities]] of the victim to determine which tactics are likely to be the most effective. |
|||
* Having a sufficient level of ruthlessness to have no qualms about causing harm to the victim if necessary. |
|||
Techniques of manipulators may include: |
|||
* [[Shaming]]: Manipulator uses [[sarcasm]] and put-downs to increase [[fear]] and [[doubt|self-doubt]] in the victim. Manipulators use this tactic to make others feel unworthy and therefore defer to them. Shaming tactics can be very subtle such as a fierce look or glance, unpleasant tone of voice, rhetorical comments, subtle sarcasm. Manipulators can make one feel ashamed for even daring to challenge them. It is an effective way to foster a sense of inadequacy in the victim. |
|||
{| class="wikitable" |
|||
!Techniques |
|||
!Description |
|||
|- |
|||
|Lying (by commission) |
|||
|It is hard to tell if somebody is lying at the time they do it, although often the truth may be apparent later when it is too late. One way to minimize the chances of being lied to is to understand that some personality types (particularly [[psychopaths]]) are experts at lying and cheating, doing it frequently, and often in subtle ways. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Lie#Lying by omission|Lying by omission]] |
|||
|This is a subtle form of lying by withholding a significant amount of the truth. This technique is also used in [[propaganda]]. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Denial]] |
|||
|Manipulator refuses to admit that they have done something wrong. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Rationalization (psychology)|Rationalization]] |
|||
|An excuse made by the manipulator for inappropriate behavior. Rationalization is closely related to [[Spin (public relations)|spin]]. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Minimisation (psychology)|Minimization]] |
|||
|This is a type of denial coupled with rationalization. The manipulator asserts that their behavior is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting. |
|||
|- |
|||
|Selective inattention or selective [[attention]] |
|||
|Manipulator refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract from their agenda. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Distraction|Diversion]] |
|||
|Manipulator not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation onto another topic. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Evasion (ethics)|Evasion]] |
|||
|Similar to diversion but giving irrelevant, rambling, or vague responses |
|||
|- |
|||
|Covert [[intimidation]] |
|||
|Manipulator putting the victim onto the defensive by using veiled (subtle, indirect or implied) threats. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Guilt trip]] |
|||
|A special kind of intimidation tactic. A manipulator suggests to the [[conscientious]] victim that they do not care enough, are too selfish or have it too easy. This can result in the victim feeling bad, keeping them in a [[Doubt|self-doubting]], [[anxious]] and [[submissive]] position. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Shaming]] |
|||
|Manipulator uses [[sarcasm]] and put-downs to increase fear and self-doubt in the victim. Manipulators use this tactic to make others feel unworthy and therefore defer to them. Manipulators can make one feel ashamed for even daring to challenge them. It is an effective way to foster a sense of inadequacy in the victim. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Victim blaming|Vilifying the victim]] |
|||
|This tactic is a powerful means of putting the victim on the defensive while simultaneously masking the aggressive intent of the manipulator, while the manipulator falsely accuses the victim as being an abuser in response when the victim stands up for or defends themselves or their position. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Victim playing|Playing the victim]] role |
|||
|Manipulator portrays themself as a victim of circumstance or of someone else's behavior in order to gain [[pity]], [[sympathy]] or evoke [[compassion]] and thereby get something from another. Caring and conscientious people often cannot stand to see anyone suffering and the manipulator often finds it easy to play on sympathy to get cooperation. |
|||
|- |
|||
|Playing the servant role |
|||
|Cloaking a self-serving agenda in the guise of a service to a more noble cause. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Seduction]] |
|||
|Manipulator uses [[Superficial charm|charm]], praise, [[flattery]] or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and give their [[Trust (social sciences)|trust]] and [[loyalty]] to the manipulator. They will also offer help with the intent to gain trust and access to an unsuspecting victim they have charmed. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Psychological projection|Projecting]] the [[blame]] (blaming others) |
|||
|Manipulating [[scapegoats]] in often subtle, hard-to-detect ways. Often, the manipulator will project their own thinking onto the victim, making the victim look like they have done something wrong. Manipulators will also claim that the victim is the one who is at fault for believing lies that they were conned into believing, as if the victim forced the manipulator to be deceitful. All blame, except for the part that is used by the manipulator to accept false guilt, is done in order to make the victim feel guilty about making healthy choices, correct thinking and good behaviors. It is frequently used as a means of psychological and emotional manipulation and control. Manipulators lie about lying, only to re-manipulate the original, less believable story into a "more acceptable" truth that the victim will believe. Projecting lies as being the truth is another common method of control and manipulation. Manipulators may falsely accuse the victim of "deserving to be treated that way". They often claim that the victim is crazy or abusive, especially when there is evidence against the manipulator. |
|||
|- |
|||
|Feigning [[innocence]] |
|||
|Manipulator tries to suggest that any harm done was unintentional or that they did not do something that they were accused of. Manipulator may put on a look of surprise or indignation. This tactic makes the victim question their own [[judgment]] and possibly their own sanity. |
|||
|- |
|||
|Feigning [[confusion]] |
|||
|Manipulator tries to play dumb by pretending they do not know what the victim is talking about or is confused about an important issue brought to their attention. The manipulator intentionally confuses the victim in order for the victim to doubt their own accuracy of perception, often pointing out key elements that the manipulator intentionally included in case there is room for doubt. Sometimes manipulators will have used cohorts in advance to help back up their story. |
|||
|- |
|||
|Brandishing anger |
|||
|Manipulator uses anger to brandish sufficient emotional intensity and [[Rage (emotion)|rage]] to shock the victim into submission. The manipulator is not actually angry, they just put on an act. They just want what they want and get "angry" when denied. Controlled anger is often used as a manipulation tactic to avoid confrontation, avoid telling the truth or to further hide intent. There are often threats used by the manipulator of going to the police, or falsely reporting abuses that the manipulator intentionally contrived to scare or intimidate the victim into submission. Blackmail and other threats of exposure are other forms of controlled anger and manipulation, especially when the victim refuses initial requests or suggestions by the manipulator. Anger is also used as a defense so the manipulator can avoid telling truths at inconvenient times or circumstances. Anger is often used as a tool or defense to ward off inquiries or suspicion. The victim becomes more focused on the anger instead of the manipulation tactic. |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Bandwagon effect]] |
|||
|Manipulator comforts the victim into submission by claiming (whether true or false) that many people already have done something, and the victim should as well. Such manipulation can be seen in [[peer pressure]] situations, often occurring in scenarios where the manipulator attempts to influence the victim into trying drugs or other substances. |
|||
|} |
|||
=== Martin Kantor === |
|||
* Playing the victim role ("poor me"): Manipulator portrays him- or herself as a victim of circumstance or of someone else's behavior in order to gain [[pity]], [[sympathy]] or evoke [[compassion]] and thereby get something from another. Caring and conscientious people cannot stand to see anyone suffering and the manipulator often finds it easy to play on sympathy to get cooperation. |
|||
Kantor advises in his 2006 book ''The Psychopathology of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us'' that vulnerability to [[psychopathic]] manipulators involves being too:<ref name="Kantor_2006">{{Cite book | vauthors = Kantor M |title=The Psychopathology of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us |year=2006 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-275-98798-5}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Dependent personality disorder|Dependent]] – dependent people need to be loved and are therefore gullible and liable to say yes to something to which they should say no. |
|||
* [[Victim blaming|Vilifying the victim]]: More than any other, this tactic is a powerful means of putting the victim on the defensive while simultaneously masking the aggressive intent of the manipulator. |
|||
* [[Maturity (psychological)|Immature]] – has impaired judgment and so tends to believe exaggerated advertising claims. |
|||
* [[Naïve]] – cannot believe there are dishonest people in the world, or takes it for granted that if there are any, they will not be allowed to prey on others. |
|||
* Impressionable – overly seduced by [[Superficial charm|charmers]]. |
|||
* [[Trusting]] – people who are honest often assume that everyone else is honest. They are more likely to commit themselves to people they hardly know without checking credentials, etc., and less likely to question so-called experts. |
|||
* [[Carelessness|Careless]] – not giving sufficient amount of thought or attention to harm or errors. |
|||
* [[Loneliness|Lonely]] – lonely people may accept any offer of human contact. A psychopathic stranger may offer human companionship for a price. |
|||
* [[Narcissistic]] – narcissists are prone to falling for unmerited flattery. |
|||
* [[Impulsivity|Impulsive]] – make snap decisions. |
|||
* [[Altruistic]] – the opposite of psychopathic: too honest, too fair, too empathetic. |
|||
* [[Frugal]] – cannot say no to a bargain even if they know the reason it is so cheap. |
|||
* [[Economic materialism|Materialistic]] – easy prey for [[loan sharks]] or [[get-rich-quick]] schemes. |
|||
* [[Greed]]y – the greedy and dishonest may fall prey to a psychopath who can easily entice them to act in an immoral way. |
|||
* [[Masochistic personality disorder|Masochistic]] – lack self-respect and so unconsciously let psychopaths take advantage of them. They think they deserve it out of a sense of guilt. |
|||
* The [[elderly]] – the elderly can become fatigued and less capable of multi-tasking. When hearing a sales pitch they are less likely to consider that it could be a con. They are more likely to give money to someone with a hard-luck story. See [[elder abuse]]. |
|||
==Assessment tools== |
|||
* Playing the servant role: Cloaking a self-serving agenda in guise of a service to a more noble cause, for example saying he is acting in a certain way for "obedience" and "service" to God or a similar [[authority figure]]. |
|||
=== MACH-IV === |
|||
Manipulativeness is a primary feature found in the [[Machiavellianism (psychology)|Machiavellianism]] construct.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jones DN, Paulhus DL | title = Duplicity among the dark triad: Three faces of deceit | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 113 | issue = 2 | pages = 329–342 | date = August 2017 | pmid = 28253006 | doi = 10.1037/pspp0000139 | s2cid = 30684586 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Abell L, Qualter P, Brewer G, Barlow A, Stylianou M, Henzi P, Barrett L | title = Why Machiavellianism Matters in Childhood: The Relationship Between Children's Machiavellian Traits and Their Peer Interactions in a Natural Setting | journal = Europe's Journal of Psychology | volume = 11 | issue = 3 | pages = 484–493 | date = August 2015 | pmid = 27247672 | pmc = 4873058 | doi = 10.5964/ejop.v11i3.957 }}</ref> The [[MACH-IV (test)|MACH-IV]], conceptualized by [[Richard Christie (psychologist)|Richard Christie]] and Florence Geis, is a popular and widely used psychological measure of manipulative and deceptive behavior.<ref>Christie, R., & Geis, F. L. (2013). Studies in machiavellianism. Academic Press.</ref> |
|||
=== Emotional manipulation scale === |
|||
* [[Seduction]]: Manipulator uses [[superficial charm|charm]], [[praise]], [[flattery]] or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and give their [[Trust (social sciences)|trust]] and [[loyalty]] to him or her. |
|||
The emotional manipulation scale is a ten-item [[questionnaire]] developed in 2006 through [[factor analysis]], primarily to measure one's tendency to use emotions to their advantage in controlling others.<ref name="Austin_2007">{{Cite journal | vauthors = Austin EJ, Farrelly D, Black C, Moore H |date=July 2007 |title=Emotional intelligence, Machiavellianism and emotional manipulation: Does EI have a dark side? |journal=Personality and Individual Differences |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=179–189 |doi=10.1016/j.paid.2006.11.019 |issn=0191-8869}}</ref> At the time of publication, emotional intelligence assessments did not specifically examine manipulative behavior and were instead predominantly focussed on [[Big Five personality traits|Big Five personality trait]] assessment.<ref name="Austin_2007" /> |
|||
=== Managing the emotions of others scale === |
|||
* [[Psychological projection|Projecting]] the [[blame]] (blaming others): Manipulator [[scapegoats]] in often subtle, hard-to-detect ways. |
|||
The "Managing the Emotions of Others Scale" (MEOS) was developed in 2013 through factor analysis to measure the ability to change emotions of others.<ref>{{Cite journal | vauthors = Austin EJ, O'Donnell MM |date=October 2013 |title=Development and preliminary validation of a scale to assess managing the emotions of others |journal= Personality and Individual Differences |volume=55 |issue=7 |pages=834–839 |doi= 10.1016/j.paid.2013.07.005 |issn=0191-8869|url=https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/cea54d2e-9550-4226-b246-094288693428 |hdl=20.500.11820/cea54d2e-9550-4226-b246-094288693428 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The survey questions measure six categories: [[Mood (psychology)|mood]] (or [[Emotion|emotional state]]) enhancement, mood worsening, concealing emotions, capacity for inauthenticity, poor emotion skills, and using diversion to enhance mood. The enhancement, worsening and diversion categories have been used to identify the ability and willingness of manipulative behavior.<ref name="Ngoc_2020" /> The MEOS has also been used for assessing emotional intelligence, and has been compared to the [[HEXACO model of personality structure]], for which the capacity for inauthenticity category in the MEOS was found to correspond to low [[Honesty-humility factor of the HEXACO model of personality|honesty-humility]] scores on the HEXACO.<ref>{{Cite journal | vauthors = Austin EJ, Vahle N |date=May 2016 |title=Associations of the Managing the Emotions of Others Scale (MEOS) with HEXACO personality and with trait emotional intelligence at the factor and facet level |journal=Personality and Individual Differences |volume=94 |pages=348–353 |doi=10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.047 |issn=0191-8869}}</ref> |
|||
==Manipulation and personality disorders== |
|||
* Feigning [[innocence]]: Manipulator tries to suggest that any harm done was unintentional or that they did not do something that they were accused of. Manipulator may put on a look of surprise or indignation. This tactic makes the victim question his or her own [[judgment]] and possibly his own sanity. |
|||
Manipulative tendencies may derive from [[cluster B personality disorders]] such as [[narcissistic personality disorder]], [[antisocial personality disorder]], and [[borderline personality disorder]]. Manipulative behavior has also been related with one's level of [[emotional intelligence]].<ref name="Ngoc_2020">{{Cite journal | vauthors = Ngoc NN, Tuan NP, Takahashi Y |date=October 2020 |title=A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Manipulation |journal=SAGE Open |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=215824402097161 |doi=10.1177/2158244020971615 |s2cid=228806921 |issn=2158-2440|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Kernberg75">{{cite book | vauthors = Kernberg O |url=https://archive.org/details/borderlinecondit00kern |title=Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism |publisher=Jason Aronson |year=1975 |isbn=978-0-87668-205-0 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}</ref> Discussion of manipulation may vary depending on which behavior is specifically included, and whether one is referring to the general population or in clinical contexts.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Potter NN | title = What is manipulative behavior, anyway? | journal = Journal of Personality Disorders | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | pages = 139–156 | date = April 2006 | pmid = 16643118 | doi = 10.1521/pedi.2006.20.2.139 }}</ref> |
|||
* Feigning [[confusion]]: Manipulator tries to play dumb by pretending he or she does not know what the victim is talking about or is confused about an important issue brought to his attention. |
|||
[[Antisocial personality disorder]] features deceit and manipulation of others as an explicit criterion. This runs the gamut of deception, from lying and [[Superficial charm|superficial displays of charisma]] to frequent use of aliases and disguises, and criminal fraudulence.<ref name=":0" /> The Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in Section III of DSM-5 requires the presence of manipulative behaviour for a diagnosis of ASPD, with two symptoms (deceitfulness and manipulativeness) reflecting such tendencies out of the seven listed, with six being required for diagnosis (the others are impulsivity, irresponsibility, risk-taking, callousness and hostility).<ref name=":0" /> The related syndrome of psychopathy also features pathological lying and manipulation for personal gain, as well as superficial charm, as cardinal features.<ref name=":0" /> |
|||
* Brandishing [[anger]]: Manipulator uses anger to brandish sufficient emotional intensity and [[Rage (emotion)|rage]] to shock the victim into submission. The manipulator is not actually angry, he or she just puts on an act. He just wants what he wants and gets "angry" when denied. |
|||
[[Borderline personality disorder]] is unique in the grouping as "borderline" manipulation is characterized as unintentional and dysfunctional manipulation.<ref name="Aguirre 2016 133–143">{{Cite book|title=Stigma and Prejudice| vauthors = Aguirre B |date=2016|publisher=Humana Press, Cham|isbn=9783319275789|series=Current Clinical Psychiatry|pages=133–143|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-27580-2_8|chapter = Borderline Personality Disorder: From Stigma to Compassionate Care}}</ref> [[Marsha M. Linehan]] has stated that people with borderline personality disorder often exhibit behaviors which are not truly manipulative, but are erroneously interpreted as such.<ref name="marsha2222">{{cite web |url=http://www.toddlertime.com/mh/terms/manipulation.htm |title=On Manipulation with the Borderline Personality |author=Staff writer(s) |website=ToddlerTime Network |access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> According to Linehan, these behaviors often appear as unthinking manifestations of intense pain, and are often not deliberate as to be considered truly manipulative. In the [[DSM-V]], manipulation was removed as a defining characteristic of borderline personality disorder.<ref name="Aguirre 2016 133–143" /> |
|||
==Vulnerabilities exploited by manipulators== |
|||
According to Braiker,<ref name=braiker /> manipulators exploit the following vulnerabilities (buttons) that may exist in victims: |
|||
* the "disease to please" |
|||
* addiction to earning the approval and acceptance of others |
|||
* Emotophobia (fear of negative emotion){{Clarify|date=May 2012}} |
|||
* lack of [[assertiveness]] and ability to say no |
|||
* blurry sense of identity (with soft [[personal boundaries]]) |
|||
* low [[Self-sufficiency|self-reliance]] |
|||
* external [[locus of control]] |
|||
[[Conduct disorder]] is the appearance of antisocial behavior occurring in children and adolescents.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/conduct-disorder | title=Conduct Disorder }}</ref> Individuals with this disorder are characterized by a lack of empathy, a low sense of guilt, and shallow emotionality. Aggression and violence are two factors that characterize individuals with this disorder. In order for a child to be diagnosed with this disorder, the behavior must be consistent for at least 12 months.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pisano S, Muratori P, Gorga C, Levantini V, Iuliano R, Catone G, Coppola G, Milone A, Masi G | display-authors = 6 | title = Conduct disorders and psychopathy in children and adolescents: aetiology, clinical presentation and treatment strategies of callous-unemotional traits | journal = Italian Journal of Pediatrics | volume = 43 | issue = 1 | pages = 84 | date = September 2017 | pmid = 28931400 | pmc = 5607565 | doi = 10.1186/s13052-017-0404-6 | doi-access = free }}</ref> |
|||
According to Simon,<ref name=simon /> manipulators exploit the following vulnerabilities that may exist in victims: |
|||
* naïveté - victim finds it too hard to accept the idea that some people are cunning, devious and ruthless or is "[[in denial]]" if he or she is being victimized. |
|||
* over-[[conscientiousness]] - victim is too willing to give manipulator the benefit of the doubt and see their side of things in which they blame the victim. |
|||
* low self-[[confidence]] - victim is [[doubt|self-doubting]], lacking in confidence and [[assertiveness]], likely to go on the defensive too easily. |
|||
* over-[[intellectualization]] - victim tries too hard to understand and believes the manipulator has some understandable reason to be hurtful. |
|||
* emotional [[codependent|dependency]] - victim has a [[submissive]] or dependent personality. The more emotionally dependent the victim is, the more vulnerable he or she is to being exploited and manipulated. |
|||
[[Factitious disorder]] is a mental illness in which individuals purposely fake having symptoms of some condition, physically or psychologically. Fabricating illnesses allows individuals to feel a thrill<ref>{{Cite web |title=Factitious disorder - Symptoms and causes |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/factitious-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356028 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref> and receive free aid in hospital admissions and treatment. Feelings of persistence, abuse in early childhood, and excessive thoughts were common for these individuals who connected to Borderline Personality Disorder.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Carnahan |first1=Kevin T. |title=Factitious Disorder |date=2022 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557547/ |work=StatPearls |place=Treasure Island (FL) |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |pmid=32491479 |access-date=2022-10-30 |last2=Jha |first2=Anupam}}</ref> |
|||
Manipulators generally take the time to scope out the characteristics and vulnerabilities of their victim. |
|||
[[Histrionic personality disorder]] is a personality disorder characterized by dramatic and attention seeking behavior. Individuals with the personality disorder exhibit inappropriate alluring tactics, and irregular emotional patterns. Histrionic symptoms include "seeking reassurance, switching emotional, and feeling uncomfortable." Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorders overlap because decisions are sporadic and unreliable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Histrionic Personality Disorder | date = 15 September 2021 | work = Psychology Today |url= https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/histrionic-personality-disorder |access-date= 25 September 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
According to Kantor,<ref name=Kantor>{{Cite book|title=The Psychopathology of Everyday Life |first=Martin|last=Kantor |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-275-98798-5}}</ref> the following are vulnerable to [[psychopathic]] manipulators: |
|||
* too [[trusting]] - people who are honest often assume that everyone else is honest. They are more likely to commit themselves to people they hardly know without checking credentials, etc., and less likely to question so-called experts. |
|||
* too [[altruistic]] - the opposite of psychopathic: too honest, too fair, too empathetic. |
|||
* too [[Weak mindedness|impressionable]] - overly seduced by [[superficial charm|charmers]]. For example, they might vote for the seemingly charming politician who kisses babies. |
|||
* too [[naïve]] - cannot believe there are dishonest people in the world, taking for granted that if there were they would not be allowed to operate. |
|||
* too [[Masochistic personality disorder|masochistic]] - lack self-respect and so unconsciously let psychopaths take advantage of them. They think they deserve it out of a sense of guilt. |
|||
* too [[narcissistic]] - narcissists are prone to falling for unmerited flattery. |
|||
* too [[greed]]y - the greedy and dishonest may fall prey to a psychopath who can easily entice them to act in an immoral way. |
|||
* too [[Maturity (psychological)|immature]] - has impaired judgment and believes the exaggerated advertising claims. |
|||
* too [[materialistic]] - easy prey for [[loan sharks]] or [[get-rich-quick]] schemes. |
|||
* too [[Dependent personality disorder|dependent]] - dependent people need to be loved and are therefore gullible and liable to say yes to something to which they should say no. |
|||
* too [[Loneliness|lonely]] - lonely people may accept any offer of human contact. A psychopathic stranger may offer human companionship for a price. |
|||
* too [[Impulsivity|impulsive]] - make snap decisions about, for example, what to buy or whom to marry without consulting others. |
|||
* too [[frugal]] - cannot say no to a bargain even if they know the reason why it is so cheap. |
|||
* the [[elderly]] - the elderly can become fatigued and less capable of multi-tasking. When hearing a sales pitch they are less likely to consider that it could be a con. They are prone to giving money to someone with a hard-luck story. See [[elder abuse]]. |
|||
[[Narcissistic personality disorder]] is characterized by a belief of superiority, exhibitionism, self-centeredness and a lack of empathy. Individuals with NPD can be charming but also show exploitive behaviors in the interpersonal domain. They are motivated by success, beauty, and may have feelings of entitlement.<ref name="Wetzel 374–389">{{Cite journal | vauthors = Wetzel E, Leckelt M, Gerlach TM, Back MD |date=July 2016 |title=Distinguishing Subgroups of Narcissists with Latent Class Analysis |journal=European Journal of Personality |language=en |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=374–389 |doi=10.1002/per.2062 |s2cid=151869472 |issn=0890-2070}}</ref> Those with this disorder often engage in assertive self enhancement and antagonistic self-protection.<ref name="Wetzel 374–389"/> All of these factors can lead an individual with narcissistic personality disorder to manipulate others. |
|||
==Motivations of manipulators== |
|||
Manipulators can have various possible motivations, including:<ref name=braiker /> |
|||
* the need to advance their own purposes and personal gain at virtually any cost to others |
|||
* a strong need to attain feelings of [[Power (philosophy)|power]] and superiority in relationships with others |
|||
* a want and need to feel in control (aka. [[control freak]]) |
|||
* a desire to gain a feeling of power over others in order to raise their perception of [[self-esteem]] |
|||
Under the [[ICD-11]]'s dimensional model of personality pathology, deceitful, manipulative and exploitative behaviors are cardinal expressions of the ''lack of empathy'' domain of the Dissociality trait.<ref>Bach, B., & First, M. B. (2018). Application of the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. ''BMC psychiatry'', ''18'', 1-14.</ref> |
|||
==Psychological conditions of manipulators== |
|||
{{POV-section|date=January 2012}} |
|||
==Counters to manipulative behavior== |
|||
Manipulators may have any of the following psychological conditions:<ref name=braiker /> |
|||
Many have proposed ways for potential victims to identify manipulation attempts and take action to prevent [[Victimisation|victimization.]]<ref>Dunstan, James (2023) Manipulation and influence: a trickery account of manipulation applied to three scopes. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.</ref> |
|||
* [[Machiavellianism|machiavellian personality]] |
|||
* [[narcissistic personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[paranoid personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[borderline personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[dependent personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[histrionic personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[passive–aggressive behavior]] |
|||
* [[Type A and Type B personality theory|type A angry personalities]] |
|||
* [[antisocial personality disorder]] |
|||
* [[behavioral addiction]] |
|||
=== Identifying manipulation === |
|||
==Basic manipulative strategy of a psychopath== |
|||
According to [[Robert D. Hare]] and [[Paul Babiak]],<ref name=snakes>{{Cite book|title=[[Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work]] |first1=Hare|last1=Robert|first2=Babiak|last2=Paul |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-06-114789-0}}</ref> [[psychopaths]] are always on the lookout for individuals to scam or swindle. The psychopathic approach includes three phases: |
|||
Manipulation can be identified through several established tactics and behavioral signs. Guilt tripping occurs when manipulators can evoke unjustified guilt in their victims as a means to control them, while gaslighting involves manipulators causing their victim to doubt themself and their beliefs through distortion of reality.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/guilt-trip | title=Guilt Trips: How to Deal with Them }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslighting | title=Definition of GASLIGHTING | date=13 November 2024 }}</ref> Another tactic is love-bombing, where manipulators may escalate affection at an unreasonable rate in an attempt to better control their victim through forming trust.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/love-bombing | title=Love Bombing | Psychology Today }}</ref> |
|||
===1. Assessment phase=== |
|||
Some psychopaths are [[Opportunism|opportunistic]], [[aggressive]] predators who will take advantage of almost anyone they meet, while others are more patient, waiting for the perfect, innocent victim to cross their path. In each case, the psychopath is constantly sizing up the potential usefulness of an individual as a source of money, power, sex, or influence. Some psychopaths enjoy a challenge while others prey on people who are vulnerable. During the assessment phase, the psychopath is able to determine a potential victim’s weak points and will use those weak points to seduce. |
|||
Several behavioral red flags can help identify manipulation, including inconsistencies where the manipulator's actions and words do not align, excessive flattery that manifests as unwarranted praise and excessive compliments, and isolation attempts where the manipulator tries to separate the victim from friends and family.<ref>Duray-Parmentier, C., Nielens, N., Duray, E., Janne, P., & Gourdin, M. (2022). What Are The Internal And External Solutions (Concept Of Resilience) That We Can Bring To A “Toxic” Parent (Or Perverse Narcissic Manipulator)?'. International Journal Of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 15(4), 201-11.</ref> |
|||
===2. Manipulation phase=== |
|||
Once the psychopath has identified a victim, the manipulation phase begins. During the manipulation phase, a psychopath may create a [[persona]] or mask, specifically designed to ‘work’ for his or her target. A psychopath will lie to gain the trust of their victim. Psychopaths' lack of empathy and guilt allows them to lie with impunity; they do not see the value of telling the truth unless it will help get them what they want. |
|||
=== Preventing manipulation === |
|||
As interaction with the victim proceeds, the psychopath carefully assesses the victim's persona. The victim's persona gives the psychopath a picture of the traits and characteristics valued in the victim. The victim's persona may also reveal, to an astute observer, insecurities or weaknesses the victim wishes to minimize or hide from view. As an ardent student of human behavior, the psychopath will then gently test the inner strengths and needs that are part of the victim's private self and eventually build a personal relationship with the victim. |
|||
The establishment of healthy boundaries requires two primary components: verbal communication for boundary definition and respect parameters, and assertiveness training for non-aggressive position maintenance. Emotional awareness monitoring consists of systematic self-reflection procedures and mindfulness exercise implementation for emotion recognition and processing.<ref name="Boundary"/> Building self-esteem involves practicing self-compassion during challenging times and using positive affirmations to boost confidence. Seeking support can include professional therapy and engaging supportive social networks to manage manipulative influences. Learning about manipulation involves studying related methodologies and participating in educational workshops to develop protective skills. When manipulation escalates to harassment or abuse, legal consultation may become necessary for pursuing appropriate protective measures.<ref name="Boundary">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383819609_Boundary_Setting_Practices</ref> |
|||
== See also == |
|||
The persona of the psychopath - the “personality” the victim is bonding with - does not really exist. It is built on lies, carefully woven together to entrap the victim. It is a mask, one of many, custom-made by the psychopath to fit the victim's particular psychological needs and expectations. The victimization is predatory in nature; it often leads to severe financial, physical or emotional harm for the individual. Healthy, real relationships are built on mutual respect and trust; they are based on sharing honest thoughts and feelings. The victim's mistaken belief that the psychopathic bond has any of these characteristics is the reason it is so successful. |
|||
{{div col|colwidth=20em}} |
|||
* [[Appeal to emotion]] |
|||
* [[Brainwashing]] |
|||
* [[Bullying]] |
|||
* [[Culture of fear]] |
|||
* [[Coercive persuasion]] |
|||
* [[Confidence trick]] |
|||
* [[Crowd manipulation]] |
|||
* [[Covert hypnosis]] |
|||
* [[Covert interrogation]] |
|||
* [[Dark triad]] |
|||
* [[Deception]] |
|||
* [[Demagogy]] |
|||
* [[Discrediting tactic]] |
|||
* [[Dumbing down]] |
|||
* [[Emotional blackmail]] |
|||
* [[Fear mongering]] |
|||
* [[Half-truth]] |
|||
* [[Internet manipulation]] |
|||
* [[Isolation to facilitate abuse]] |
|||
* [[List of confidence tricks]] |
|||
* [[Lie|Lying]] |
|||
* [[Master suppression techniques]] |
|||
* [[Media manipulation]] |
|||
* [[Brainwashing|Mind control]] |
|||
* [[Mobbing]] |
|||
* [[Psychological abuse]] |
|||
* [[Psychological warfare]] |
|||
* [[Sheeple]] |
|||
* [[Social engineering (political science)]] |
|||
* [[Social influence]] |
|||
* [[Whispering campaign]] |
|||
{{div col end}} |
|||
== |
== References == |
||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
The abandonment phase begins when the psychopath decides that his or her victim is no longer useful. The psychopath abandons his or her victim and moves on to someone else. In the case of romantic relationships, a psychopath will usually seal a relationship with their next target before abandoning his or her current victim. |
|||
== Further reading == |
|||
Sometimes, the psychopath has three individuals on whom he or she is running game: the one who has been recently abandoned, who is being toyed with and kept in the picture in case the other two do not work out; the one who is currently being played and is about to be abandoned; and the third, who is being groomed by the psychopath, in anticipation of abandoning the current "mark". |
|||
{{wikiquote}} |
|||
Books |
|||
==See also== |
|||
{{ |
{{refbegin}} |
||
* {{cite book | vauthors = Barber BK | title = Intrusive Parenting: How Psychological Control Affects Children and Adolescents | date = 2001 | isbn = 978-1-55798-828-7 }} |
|||
*[[Advertising]] |
|||
* {{cite book | vauthors = Bowman RP, Cooper K, Miles R, Carr T | title = Innovative Strategies for Unlocking Difficult Children: Attention Seekers, Manipulative Students, Apathetic Students, Hostile Students | date = 1998 | publisher = YouthLight | isbn = 978-1-889636-08-5 }} |
|||
*[[Appeal to emotion]] |
|||
* {{cite book | vauthors = McMillan DL | title = But He Says He Loves Me: How to Avoid Being Trapped in a Manipulative Relationship | date = 2008 | publisher = Allen & Unwin | isbn = 978-1-74175-196-3 }} |
|||
*[[Brainwashing]] |
|||
* {{cite book | vauthors = Sasson JE | title = Stop Negotiating With Your Teen: Strategies for Parenting Your Angry, Manipulative, Moody, or Depressed Adolescent | date = 2002 | publisher = Penguin | isbn = 978-0-399-52789-0 }} |
|||
*[[Bullying]] |
|||
* {{cite book | vauthors = Stern R | author-link1 = Robin Stern | title = [[The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life]] | date = 2007 | publisher = Harmony/Rodale | isbn = 978-0-76792782-6 }} |
|||
*[[Culture of fear]] |
|||
* {{cite book | vauthors = Swihart Jr EW, Cotter P | title = The Manipulative Child: How to Regain Control and Raise Resilient, Resourceful, and Independent Kids | date = 1998 | publisher = Random House Publishing | isbn = 978-0-553-37949-5 }} |
|||
*[[Coercion]] |
|||
{{refend}} |
|||
*[[Coercive persuasion]] |
|||
*[[Common sense]] |
|||
*[[Confidence trick]] |
|||
*[[Critical thinking]] |
|||
*[[Crowd manipulation]] |
|||
*[[Demagogy]] |
|||
*[[Dirty tricks]] |
|||
*[[Discrediting tactic]] |
|||
*[[Dissimulation]] |
|||
*[[Dumbing down]] |
|||
*[[Emotional blackmail]] |
|||
*[[Enabling]] |
|||
*[[Fallacy]] |
|||
*[[Fear mongering]] |
|||
*[[Fraud]] |
|||
{{multicol-break}} |
|||
*[[Gaslighting]] |
|||
*[[Half-truth]] |
|||
*[[Interrogation]] |
|||
*[[List of confidence tricks]] |
|||
*[[List of fallacies]] |
|||
*[[Martyrdom video]] |
|||
*[[Media manipulation]] |
|||
*[[Mind control]] |
|||
*[[Mobbing#In_the_workplace|Mobbing]] |
|||
*[[Personal boundaries]] |
|||
*[[Persuasion]] |
|||
*[[Propaganda]] |
|||
*[[Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes]] |
|||
*[[Psychological abuse]] |
|||
*[[Psychopathy#The_thought_processes_of_psychopaths|Psychopathic thought processes]] |
|||
*[[Rhetoric]] |
|||
*[[Shame|Shaming]] |
|||
*[[Sheeple]] |
|||
*[[Shills]] |
|||
*[[Smear campaign]] |
|||
*[[Social engineering (political science)]] |
|||
{{multicol-break}} |
|||
*[[Social engineering (security)]] |
|||
*[[Social influence]] |
|||
*[[Sophistry]] |
|||
*[[Spin (public relations)|Spin]] |
|||
*[[Subliminal stimuli]] |
|||
*[[Victim blaming]] |
|||
*[[Victimology]] |
|||
*[[Weasel words]] |
|||
*[[Whispering campaign]] |
|||
*[[Workplace bullying]] |
|||
{{multicol-end}} |
|||
Academic papers |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{ |
{{refbegin}} |
||
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Bursten B | title = The manipulative personality. | journal = Archives of General Psychiatry | date = April 1972 | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 318–321 | doi = 10.1001/archpsyc.1972.01750220028005 | pmid = 5013516 }} |
|||
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Gomes M, Higgins DS, Lauterbach K | title = Tactics of manipulation. | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | date = June 1987 | volume = 52 | issue = 6 | pages = 1219–1229 | doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.52.6.1219 | pmid = 3598864 }} |
|||
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Fischer A | title = Then again, what is manipulation? A broader view of a much-maligned concept. | journal = Philosophical Explorations | date = May 2022 | volume = 25 | issue = 2 | pages = 170–188 | doi = 10.1080/13869795.2022.2042586 | s2cid = 247164081 | doi-access = free }} |
|||
* {{cite journal | vauthors = Fischer A, Illies C | title = Modulated feelings: the Pleasurable-Ends-Model of manipulation. | journal = Philosophical Inquiries | date = August 2018 | volume = 6 | issue = 2 | pages = 25–44 | doi = 10.4454/philinq.v6i2.202 | s2cid = 149998290 }} |
|||
{{refend}} |
|||
{{Manipulation (psychology)}}{{Disinformation}}{{Psychopathy}} {{Portal bar|Psychology}}{{Authority control}} |
|||
==Other references== |
|||
===Books=== |
|||
* Alessandra, Tony. ''Non-Manipulative Selling'' (1992) |
|||
* Barber, Brian K. ''Intrusive Parenting: How Psychological Control Affects Children and Adolescents'' (2001) |
|||
* Bowman, Robert P.; Cooper, Kathy; Miles, Ron; & Carr, Tom. ''Innovative Strategies for Unlocking Difficult Children: [[Attention seeking|Attention Seekers]], Manipulative Students, Apathetic Students, Hostile Students'' (1998) |
|||
* Bursten, Ben. ''Manipulator: A Psychoanalytic View'' (1973) |
|||
* Crawford, Craig. ''The Politics of Life: 25 Rules for Survival in a Brutal and Manipulative World'' (2007) |
|||
* [[Jacques Ellul|Ellul, Jacques]]. ''[[Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes]]''. Trans. Konrad Kellen & Jean Lerner. New York: Knopf, 1965. New York: Random House/ Vintage 1973 |
|||
* Forward, Susan. ''Emotional Blackmail'' (1997) |
|||
* Klatte, Bill & Thompson, Kate. ''It's So Hard to Love You: Staying Sane When Your Loved One Is Manipulative, Needy, Dishonest, or Addicted'' (2007) |
|||
* McCoy, Dorothy. ''The Manipulative Man: Identify His Behavior, Counter the Abuse, Regain Control'' (2006) |
|||
* McMillan, Dina L. ''But He Says He Loves Me: How to Avoid Being Trapped in a Manipulative Relationship'' (2008) |
|||
* Sasson, Janet Edgette. ''Stop Negotiating With Your Teen: Strategies for Parenting Your Angry, Manipulative, Moody, or Depressed Adolescent'' (2002) |
|||
* Simon, George. "In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People" (2010) |
|||
* Stern, Robin. ''The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life'' (2008) |
|||
* Swihart, Ernest W. Jr. & Cotter, Patrick. ''The Manipulative Child: How to Regain Control and Raise Resilient, Resourceful, and Independent Kids'' (1998) |
|||
===Academic Journals=== |
|||
* Aglietta M, Reberioux A, Babiak P. "Psychopathic manipulation in organizations: pawns, patrons and patsies", in Cooke A, Forth A, Newman J, Hare R (Eds), ''International Perspectives and Psychopathy'', British Psychological Society, Leicester, pp. 12–17. (1996) |
|||
* Aglietta, M.; Reberioux, A.; Babiak, P. "Psychopathic manipulation at work", in Gacono, C.B. (Ed), ''The Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy: A Practitioner's Guide'', Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 287–311. (2000) |
|||
* Bursten, Ben. "The Manipulative Personality", ''Archives of General Psychiatry'', Vol 26 No 4, 318-321 (1972) |
|||
* [[David Buss|Buss DM]], Gomes M, Higgins DS, Lauterback K. "Tactics of Manipulation", ''Journal of Personality and Social Psychology'', Vol 52 No 6 1219-1279 (1987) |
|||
* Hofer, Paul. "The Role of Manipulation in the Antisocial Personality", ''International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology'', Vol. 33 No 2, 91-101 (1989) |
|||
{{Psychological manipulation}} |
|||
{{Narcissism}} |
|||
{{abuse}} |
|||
{{Bullying}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Psychological Manipulation}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Psychological Manipulation}} |
||
[[Category:Psychological manipulation| ]] |
[[Category:Psychological manipulation| ]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Social influence]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Narcissism]] |
||
[[Category:Diversionary tactics]] |
|||
[[Category:Deception]] |
|||
[[Category:Human behavior]] |
|||
[[Category:Mind control]] |
|||
[[Category:Psychological abuse]] |
|||
[[Category:Psychopathy]] |
[[Category:Psychopathy]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Anti-social behaviour]] |
||
[[Category:Borderline personality disorder]] |
|||
[[als:Manipulation]] |
|||
[[be-x-old:Маніпуляваньне]] |
|||
[[bg:Психологическа манипулация]] |
|||
[[cs:Manipulace]] |
|||
[[de:Manipulation]] |
|||
[[es:Manipulación mental]] |
|||
[[fa:بازوی مکانیکی]] |
|||
[[fr:Manipulation mentale]] |
|||
[[fy:Manipulaasje]] |
|||
[[hr:Manipulacija]] |
|||
[[id:Manipulasi psikologis]] |
|||
[[it:Manipolazione]] |
|||
[[nl:Manipulatie]] |
|||
[[pl:Manipulacja (psychologia)]] |
|||
[[ro:Manipulare psihologică]] |
|||
[[ru:Психологическая манипуляция]] |
|||
[[sk:Manipulácia (psychológia)]] |
|||
[[sr:Манипулација]] |
|||
[[sh:Manipulacija]] |
|||
[[fi:Psykologinen manipulointi]] |
|||
[[sv:Psykologisk manipulation]] |
Latest revision as of 04:33, 20 December 2024
In psychology, manipulation is defined as an action designed to influence or control another person, usually in an underhanded or unfair manner which facilitates one's personal aims.[1] Methods someone may use to manipulate another person may include seduction, suggestion, coercion, and blackmail to induce submission.[2][3] Manipulation is generally considered a dishonest form of social influence as it is used at the expense of others.[4] Barring mental disabilities, humans are inherently capable of manipulative and deceptive behavior, with the main differences being of specific personality characteristics or disorders.[5][6][7][8]
Differentiation
[edit]Manipulation differs from general influence and persuasion. Manipulation, unlike persuasion, typically involves exploiting the vulnerabilities of an individual. Non-manipulative influence is generally perceived to be harmless and it is not seen as unduly coercive to the individual's right of acceptance or rejection of influence.[9] Persuasion is the ability to move others to a desired action, usually within the context of a specific goal. Persuasion often attempts to influence a person's beliefs, religion, motivations, or behavior. Influence and persuasion are neither positive nor negative, unlike manipulation which is strictly negative.[10][11]
Elements of manipulation
[edit]While the motivations for manipulation are mostly self-serving, certain styles of social influence can be intended to be to the benefit of others.[12] Manipulation can be defined as the use of strategies to further personal driven goals at the expense of others and is usually considered antisocial behavior.[12] Pro-social behavior is a voluntary act intended to help or benefit another individual or group of individuals and is an important part of empathy.[13][14]
Different measures of manipulativeness focus on different aspects or expressions of manipulation and tend to paint slightly different pictures of its predictors. Features such as low empathy, high narcissism, use of self-serving rationalizations, and an interpersonal style marked by high agency (dominance) and low communion (i.e. cold-heartedness) are consistent across measures.[15][16][17]
Manipulative behaviors typically exploit the following vulnerabilities:
Vulnerability | Description |
---|---|
Naïveté or immaturity | People who find it too hard to accept the idea that some people are cunning, devious and ruthless or are "in denial" if they are being taken advantage of. They will acknowledge the fact of being manipulated only if it occurs too often.[18] |
Over-conscientiousness | People who are much harder on themselves than on others often are too willing to give another the benefit of the doubt and see their side of things while blaming themselves for hurting the manipulator.[18] |
Low self-esteem | People who struggle with self-doubting, lacking in confidence and assertiveness, or chronically unsure of their right to pursue their legitimate wants and needs. They are likely to go on the defensive too easily when challenged by an aggressive personality.[18] |
Over-intellectualization | People who believe that others only do hurtful things when there's some legitimate, understandable reason for manipulation. They might delude themselves into believing that uncovering and understanding all the reasons for the manipulator's behavior will be sufficient to make things different.[18] |
Emotional dependency | People who have a submissive or dependent personality. The more emotionally dependent a person is, the more vulnerable they are to being exploited and manipulated.[18] |
Harriet B. Braiker
[edit]Harriet B. Braiker identified the following ways that manipulators control their victims:[19]
- Positive reinforcement: includes praise, superficial charm, superficial sympathy (crocodile tears), excessive apologizing, money, approval, gifts, attention, facial expressions such as a forced laugh or smile, and public recognition.
- Negative reinforcement: involves removing one from a negative situation as a reward.
- Gaslighting: making someone question their own reality.
- Intermittent or partial reinforcement: Partial or intermittent negative reinforcement can create an effective climate of fear and doubt. Partial or intermittent positive reinforcement can encourage the victim to persist.
- Punishment: includes nagging, yelling, the silent treatment, intimidation, threats, swearing, emotional blackmail, guilt trips, sulking, crying, and playing the victim.
- Traumatic one-trial learning: using verbal abuse, explosive anger, or other intimidating behavior to establish dominance or superiority; even one incident of such behavior can condition or train victims to avoid upsetting, confronting or contradicting the manipulator.
According to Braiker, manipulators exploit the following vulnerabilities (buttons) that may exist in victims:[19]
- The desire to please
- Addiction to earning the approval and acceptance of others
- Emotophobia (fear of negative emotion; i.e. a fear of expressing anger, frustration or disapproval)
- A lack of assertiveness and ability to say no
- A blurry sense of identity (with soft personal boundaries)
- Low self-reliance
- Possessing an external locus of control
Manipulators can have various possible motivations, including but not limited to:[19]
- The need to advance their own purposes and personal gain at (virtually any) cost to others
- A strong need to attain feelings of power and superiority in relationships with others - compare megalomania (associated with, for example, narcissistic personality disorder)[20]
- A want and need to feel in control
- A desire to gain a feeling of power over others in order to raise their perception of self-esteem
- Boredom, or growing tired of one's surroundings; seeing manipulation as a game more than hurting others
- Covert agendas, criminal or otherwise, including financial manipulation (often seen when intentionally targeting the elderly or unsuspecting, unprotected wealthy for the sole purpose of obtaining victims' financial assets)
- Not identifying with underlying emotions (including experiencing commitment phobia), and subsequent rationalization (offenders do not manipulate consciously, but rather try to convince themselves of the invalidity of their own emotions)
- A lack of self-control over impulsive and anti-social behaviour - leading to pre-emptive or reactionary manipulation to maintain image
George K. Simon
[edit]According to psychology author George K. Simon, successful psychological manipulation primarily involves the manipulator:[18]
- Concealing aggressive intentions and behaviors and being affable.
- Knowing the psychological vulnerabilities of the victim to determine which tactics are likely to be the most effective.
- Having a sufficient level of ruthlessness to have no qualms about causing harm to the victim if necessary.
Techniques of manipulators may include:
Techniques | Description |
---|---|
Lying (by commission) | It is hard to tell if somebody is lying at the time they do it, although often the truth may be apparent later when it is too late. One way to minimize the chances of being lied to is to understand that some personality types (particularly psychopaths) are experts at lying and cheating, doing it frequently, and often in subtle ways. |
Lying by omission | This is a subtle form of lying by withholding a significant amount of the truth. This technique is also used in propaganda. |
Denial | Manipulator refuses to admit that they have done something wrong. |
Rationalization | An excuse made by the manipulator for inappropriate behavior. Rationalization is closely related to spin. |
Minimization | This is a type of denial coupled with rationalization. The manipulator asserts that their behavior is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting. |
Selective inattention or selective attention | Manipulator refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract from their agenda. |
Diversion | Manipulator not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation onto another topic. |
Evasion | Similar to diversion but giving irrelevant, rambling, or vague responses |
Covert intimidation | Manipulator putting the victim onto the defensive by using veiled (subtle, indirect or implied) threats. |
Guilt trip | A special kind of intimidation tactic. A manipulator suggests to the conscientious victim that they do not care enough, are too selfish or have it too easy. This can result in the victim feeling bad, keeping them in a self-doubting, anxious and submissive position. |
Shaming | Manipulator uses sarcasm and put-downs to increase fear and self-doubt in the victim. Manipulators use this tactic to make others feel unworthy and therefore defer to them. Manipulators can make one feel ashamed for even daring to challenge them. It is an effective way to foster a sense of inadequacy in the victim. |
Vilifying the victim | This tactic is a powerful means of putting the victim on the defensive while simultaneously masking the aggressive intent of the manipulator, while the manipulator falsely accuses the victim as being an abuser in response when the victim stands up for or defends themselves or their position. |
Playing the victim role | Manipulator portrays themself as a victim of circumstance or of someone else's behavior in order to gain pity, sympathy or evoke compassion and thereby get something from another. Caring and conscientious people often cannot stand to see anyone suffering and the manipulator often finds it easy to play on sympathy to get cooperation. |
Playing the servant role | Cloaking a self-serving agenda in the guise of a service to a more noble cause. |
Seduction | Manipulator uses charm, praise, flattery or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and give their trust and loyalty to the manipulator. They will also offer help with the intent to gain trust and access to an unsuspecting victim they have charmed. |
Projecting the blame (blaming others) | Manipulating scapegoats in often subtle, hard-to-detect ways. Often, the manipulator will project their own thinking onto the victim, making the victim look like they have done something wrong. Manipulators will also claim that the victim is the one who is at fault for believing lies that they were conned into believing, as if the victim forced the manipulator to be deceitful. All blame, except for the part that is used by the manipulator to accept false guilt, is done in order to make the victim feel guilty about making healthy choices, correct thinking and good behaviors. It is frequently used as a means of psychological and emotional manipulation and control. Manipulators lie about lying, only to re-manipulate the original, less believable story into a "more acceptable" truth that the victim will believe. Projecting lies as being the truth is another common method of control and manipulation. Manipulators may falsely accuse the victim of "deserving to be treated that way". They often claim that the victim is crazy or abusive, especially when there is evidence against the manipulator. |
Feigning innocence | Manipulator tries to suggest that any harm done was unintentional or that they did not do something that they were accused of. Manipulator may put on a look of surprise or indignation. This tactic makes the victim question their own judgment and possibly their own sanity. |
Feigning confusion | Manipulator tries to play dumb by pretending they do not know what the victim is talking about or is confused about an important issue brought to their attention. The manipulator intentionally confuses the victim in order for the victim to doubt their own accuracy of perception, often pointing out key elements that the manipulator intentionally included in case there is room for doubt. Sometimes manipulators will have used cohorts in advance to help back up their story. |
Brandishing anger | Manipulator uses anger to brandish sufficient emotional intensity and rage to shock the victim into submission. The manipulator is not actually angry, they just put on an act. They just want what they want and get "angry" when denied. Controlled anger is often used as a manipulation tactic to avoid confrontation, avoid telling the truth or to further hide intent. There are often threats used by the manipulator of going to the police, or falsely reporting abuses that the manipulator intentionally contrived to scare or intimidate the victim into submission. Blackmail and other threats of exposure are other forms of controlled anger and manipulation, especially when the victim refuses initial requests or suggestions by the manipulator. Anger is also used as a defense so the manipulator can avoid telling truths at inconvenient times or circumstances. Anger is often used as a tool or defense to ward off inquiries or suspicion. The victim becomes more focused on the anger instead of the manipulation tactic. |
Bandwagon effect | Manipulator comforts the victim into submission by claiming (whether true or false) that many people already have done something, and the victim should as well. Such manipulation can be seen in peer pressure situations, often occurring in scenarios where the manipulator attempts to influence the victim into trying drugs or other substances. |
Martin Kantor
[edit]Kantor advises in his 2006 book The Psychopathology of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us that vulnerability to psychopathic manipulators involves being too:[21]
- Dependent – dependent people need to be loved and are therefore gullible and liable to say yes to something to which they should say no.
- Immature – has impaired judgment and so tends to believe exaggerated advertising claims.
- Naïve – cannot believe there are dishonest people in the world, or takes it for granted that if there are any, they will not be allowed to prey on others.
- Impressionable – overly seduced by charmers.
- Trusting – people who are honest often assume that everyone else is honest. They are more likely to commit themselves to people they hardly know without checking credentials, etc., and less likely to question so-called experts.
- Careless – not giving sufficient amount of thought or attention to harm or errors.
- Lonely – lonely people may accept any offer of human contact. A psychopathic stranger may offer human companionship for a price.
- Narcissistic – narcissists are prone to falling for unmerited flattery.
- Impulsive – make snap decisions.
- Altruistic – the opposite of psychopathic: too honest, too fair, too empathetic.
- Frugal – cannot say no to a bargain even if they know the reason it is so cheap.
- Materialistic – easy prey for loan sharks or get-rich-quick schemes.
- Greedy – the greedy and dishonest may fall prey to a psychopath who can easily entice them to act in an immoral way.
- Masochistic – lack self-respect and so unconsciously let psychopaths take advantage of them. They think they deserve it out of a sense of guilt.
- The elderly – the elderly can become fatigued and less capable of multi-tasking. When hearing a sales pitch they are less likely to consider that it could be a con. They are more likely to give money to someone with a hard-luck story. See elder abuse.
Assessment tools
[edit]MACH-IV
[edit]Manipulativeness is a primary feature found in the Machiavellianism construct.[22][23] The MACH-IV, conceptualized by Richard Christie and Florence Geis, is a popular and widely used psychological measure of manipulative and deceptive behavior.[24]
Emotional manipulation scale
[edit]The emotional manipulation scale is a ten-item questionnaire developed in 2006 through factor analysis, primarily to measure one's tendency to use emotions to their advantage in controlling others.[25] At the time of publication, emotional intelligence assessments did not specifically examine manipulative behavior and were instead predominantly focussed on Big Five personality trait assessment.[25]
Managing the emotions of others scale
[edit]The "Managing the Emotions of Others Scale" (MEOS) was developed in 2013 through factor analysis to measure the ability to change emotions of others.[26] The survey questions measure six categories: mood (or emotional state) enhancement, mood worsening, concealing emotions, capacity for inauthenticity, poor emotion skills, and using diversion to enhance mood. The enhancement, worsening and diversion categories have been used to identify the ability and willingness of manipulative behavior.[12] The MEOS has also been used for assessing emotional intelligence, and has been compared to the HEXACO model of personality structure, for which the capacity for inauthenticity category in the MEOS was found to correspond to low honesty-humility scores on the HEXACO.[27]
Manipulation and personality disorders
[edit]Manipulative tendencies may derive from cluster B personality disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Manipulative behavior has also been related with one's level of emotional intelligence.[12][28] Discussion of manipulation may vary depending on which behavior is specifically included, and whether one is referring to the general population or in clinical contexts.[29]
Antisocial personality disorder features deceit and manipulation of others as an explicit criterion. This runs the gamut of deception, from lying and superficial displays of charisma to frequent use of aliases and disguises, and criminal fraudulence.[3] The Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) in Section III of DSM-5 requires the presence of manipulative behaviour for a diagnosis of ASPD, with two symptoms (deceitfulness and manipulativeness) reflecting such tendencies out of the seven listed, with six being required for diagnosis (the others are impulsivity, irresponsibility, risk-taking, callousness and hostility).[3] The related syndrome of psychopathy also features pathological lying and manipulation for personal gain, as well as superficial charm, as cardinal features.[3]
Borderline personality disorder is unique in the grouping as "borderline" manipulation is characterized as unintentional and dysfunctional manipulation.[30] Marsha M. Linehan has stated that people with borderline personality disorder often exhibit behaviors which are not truly manipulative, but are erroneously interpreted as such.[31] According to Linehan, these behaviors often appear as unthinking manifestations of intense pain, and are often not deliberate as to be considered truly manipulative. In the DSM-V, manipulation was removed as a defining characteristic of borderline personality disorder.[30]
Conduct disorder is the appearance of antisocial behavior occurring in children and adolescents.[32] Individuals with this disorder are characterized by a lack of empathy, a low sense of guilt, and shallow emotionality. Aggression and violence are two factors that characterize individuals with this disorder. In order for a child to be diagnosed with this disorder, the behavior must be consistent for at least 12 months.[33]
Factitious disorder is a mental illness in which individuals purposely fake having symptoms of some condition, physically or psychologically. Fabricating illnesses allows individuals to feel a thrill[34] and receive free aid in hospital admissions and treatment. Feelings of persistence, abuse in early childhood, and excessive thoughts were common for these individuals who connected to Borderline Personality Disorder.[35]
Histrionic personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by dramatic and attention seeking behavior. Individuals with the personality disorder exhibit inappropriate alluring tactics, and irregular emotional patterns. Histrionic symptoms include "seeking reassurance, switching emotional, and feeling uncomfortable." Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorders overlap because decisions are sporadic and unreliable.[36]
Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by a belief of superiority, exhibitionism, self-centeredness and a lack of empathy. Individuals with NPD can be charming but also show exploitive behaviors in the interpersonal domain. They are motivated by success, beauty, and may have feelings of entitlement.[37] Those with this disorder often engage in assertive self enhancement and antagonistic self-protection.[37] All of these factors can lead an individual with narcissistic personality disorder to manipulate others.
Under the ICD-11's dimensional model of personality pathology, deceitful, manipulative and exploitative behaviors are cardinal expressions of the lack of empathy domain of the Dissociality trait.[38]
Counters to manipulative behavior
[edit]Many have proposed ways for potential victims to identify manipulation attempts and take action to prevent victimization.[39]
Identifying manipulation
[edit]Manipulation can be identified through several established tactics and behavioral signs. Guilt tripping occurs when manipulators can evoke unjustified guilt in their victims as a means to control them, while gaslighting involves manipulators causing their victim to doubt themself and their beliefs through distortion of reality.[40][41] Another tactic is love-bombing, where manipulators may escalate affection at an unreasonable rate in an attempt to better control their victim through forming trust.[42]
Several behavioral red flags can help identify manipulation, including inconsistencies where the manipulator's actions and words do not align, excessive flattery that manifests as unwarranted praise and excessive compliments, and isolation attempts where the manipulator tries to separate the victim from friends and family.[43]
Preventing manipulation
[edit]The establishment of healthy boundaries requires two primary components: verbal communication for boundary definition and respect parameters, and assertiveness training for non-aggressive position maintenance. Emotional awareness monitoring consists of systematic self-reflection procedures and mindfulness exercise implementation for emotion recognition and processing.[44] Building self-esteem involves practicing self-compassion during challenging times and using positive affirmations to boost confidence. Seeking support can include professional therapy and engaging supportive social networks to manage manipulative influences. Learning about manipulation involves studying related methodologies and participating in educational workshops to develop protective skills. When manipulation escalates to harassment or abuse, legal consultation may become necessary for pursuing appropriate protective measures.[44]
See also
[edit]- Appeal to emotion
- Brainwashing
- Bullying
- Culture of fear
- Coercive persuasion
- Confidence trick
- Crowd manipulation
- Covert hypnosis
- Covert interrogation
- Dark triad
- Deception
- Demagogy
- Discrediting tactic
- Dumbing down
- Emotional blackmail
- Fear mongering
- Half-truth
- Internet manipulation
- Isolation to facilitate abuse
- List of confidence tricks
- Lying
- Master suppression techniques
- Media manipulation
- Mind control
- Mobbing
- Psychological abuse
- Psychological warfare
- Sheeple
- Social engineering (political science)
- Social influence
- Whispering campaign
References
[edit]- ^ Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Manipulation. In Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/manipulation
- ^ "Manipulation". APA Dictionary of Psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. n.d. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lynam, Donald R.; Vachon, David D. (2012). "Antisocial personality disorder in DSM-5: Missteps and missed opportunities". Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. 3 (4): 483–495. doi:10.1037/per0000006. ISSN 1949-2723. PMID 23106185.
- ^ Brennan D. "Signs of Emotional Manipulation". www.webmd.com. WebMD. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ Lee, K., & Ashton, M. C. (2013). The H factor of personality: Why some people are manipulative, self-entitled, materialistic, and exploitive—and why it matters for everyone.
- ^ Ekman, P. (2009). Telling lies: Clues to deceit in the marketplace, politics, and marriage (revised edition). WW Norton & Company.
- ^ DePaulo, B. M., Kirkendol, S. E., Tang, J., & O'Brien, T. P. (1988). The motivational impairment effect in the communication of deception: Replications and extensions. Journal of nonverbal Behavior, 12, 177-202.
- ^ Bursten, B. (1972). The manipulative personality. Archives of general psychiatry, 26(4), 318-321.
- ^ Nichols S. "The Ethics of Manipulation". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- ^ Duncan RD. "Influence Versus Manipulation: Understand The Difference". Forbes. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ Sinha, Ruchi (2022-01-26). "Are You Being Influenced or Manipulated?". Harvard Business Review. ISSN 0017-8012. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ a b c d Ngoc NN, Tuan NP, Takahashi Y (October 2020). "A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Manipulation". SAGE Open. 10 (4): 215824402097161. doi:10.1177/2158244020971615. ISSN 2158-2440. S2CID 228806921.
- ^ Rodriguez LM, Mesurado B, Moreno JE (2018-11-29). "Ethical Position, Empathy and Prosocial Behaviour Model: Its Contribution to Prevention and Psychotherapeutic Approaches of Antisocial Disorders". Psychiatry and Neuroscience Update. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 273–286. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-95360-1_22. ISBN 978-3-319-95359-5. S2CID 150110593.
- ^ Eisenberg N, Miller PA (January 1987). "The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors". Psychological Bulletin. 101 (1): 91–119. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.101.1.91. PMID 3562705.
- ^ Miller, Joshua D.; Gentile, Brittany; Campbell, W. Keith (2013-07-01). "A Test of the Construct Validity of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory". Journal of Personality Assessment. 95 (4): 377–387. doi:10.1080/00223891.2012.742903. ISSN 0022-3891. PMID 23186210. S2CID 36810335.
- ^ Grieve, Rachel; Mahar, Doug (2010-06-01). "The emotional manipulation–psychopathy nexus: Relationships with emotional intelligence, alexithymia and ethical position". Personality and Individual Differences. 48 (8): 945–950. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.028. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ Brunell, Amy B.; Buelow, Melissa T. (2018-03-01). "Homogenous scales of narcissism: Using the psychological entitlement scale, interpersonal exploitativeness scale, and narcissistic grandiosity scale to study narcissism". Personality and Individual Differences. 123: 182–190. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.029. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ a b c d e f Simon GK (1996). In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People. Parkhurst Brothers, Incorporated, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-935166-30-6. (reference for the entire section)
- ^ a b c Braiker HB (2004). Who's Pulling Your Strings ? How to Break The Cycle of Manipulation. McGraw Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-144672-3.
- ^ Giovacchini PL (1996). Treatment of Primitive Mental States. Master work series. Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson. p. 24. ISBN 9781568218083. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
These are early ego states that are characterized by megalomanic feelings. Freud's (1914a) description of 'his majesty, the baby' well illustrates this situation of omnipotent manipulation.
- ^ Kantor M (2006). The Psychopathology of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-275-98798-5.
- ^ Jones DN, Paulhus DL (August 2017). "Duplicity among the dark triad: Three faces of deceit". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 113 (2): 329–342. doi:10.1037/pspp0000139. PMID 28253006. S2CID 30684586.
- ^ Abell L, Qualter P, Brewer G, Barlow A, Stylianou M, Henzi P, Barrett L (August 2015). "Why Machiavellianism Matters in Childhood: The Relationship Between Children's Machiavellian Traits and Their Peer Interactions in a Natural Setting". Europe's Journal of Psychology. 11 (3): 484–493. doi:10.5964/ejop.v11i3.957. PMC 4873058. PMID 27247672.
- ^ Christie, R., & Geis, F. L. (2013). Studies in machiavellianism. Academic Press.
- ^ a b Austin EJ, Farrelly D, Black C, Moore H (July 2007). "Emotional intelligence, Machiavellianism and emotional manipulation: Does EI have a dark side?". Personality and Individual Differences. 43 (1): 179–189. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2006.11.019. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ Austin EJ, O'Donnell MM (October 2013). "Development and preliminary validation of a scale to assess managing the emotions of others". Personality and Individual Differences. 55 (7): 834–839. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2013.07.005. hdl:20.500.11820/cea54d2e-9550-4226-b246-094288693428. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ Austin EJ, Vahle N (May 2016). "Associations of the Managing the Emotions of Others Scale (MEOS) with HEXACO personality and with trait emotional intelligence at the factor and facet level". Personality and Individual Differences. 94: 348–353. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.047. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ Kernberg O (1975). Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism. New York: Jason Aronson. ISBN 978-0-87668-205-0.
- ^ Potter NN (April 2006). "What is manipulative behavior, anyway?". Journal of Personality Disorders. 20 (2): 139–156. doi:10.1521/pedi.2006.20.2.139. PMID 16643118.
- ^ a b Aguirre B (2016). "Borderline Personality Disorder: From Stigma to Compassionate Care". Stigma and Prejudice. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, Cham. pp. 133–143. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-27580-2_8. ISBN 9783319275789.
- ^ Staff writer(s). "On Manipulation with the Borderline Personality". ToddlerTime Network. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Conduct Disorder".
- ^ Pisano S, Muratori P, Gorga C, Levantini V, Iuliano R, Catone G, et al. (September 2017). "Conduct disorders and psychopathy in children and adolescents: aetiology, clinical presentation and treatment strategies of callous-unemotional traits". Italian Journal of Pediatrics. 43 (1): 84. doi:10.1186/s13052-017-0404-6. PMC 5607565. PMID 28931400.
- ^ "Factitious disorder - Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ Carnahan, Kevin T.; Jha, Anupam (2022), "Factitious Disorder", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32491479, retrieved 2022-10-30
- ^ "Histrionic Personality Disorder". Psychology Today. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ a b Wetzel E, Leckelt M, Gerlach TM, Back MD (July 2016). "Distinguishing Subgroups of Narcissists with Latent Class Analysis". European Journal of Personality. 30 (4): 374–389. doi:10.1002/per.2062. ISSN 0890-2070. S2CID 151869472.
- ^ Bach, B., & First, M. B. (2018). Application of the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. BMC psychiatry, 18, 1-14.
- ^ Dunstan, James (2023) Manipulation and influence: a trickery account of manipulation applied to three scopes. PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.
- ^ "Guilt Trips: How to Deal with Them".
- ^ "Definition of GASLIGHTING". 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Love Bombing | Psychology Today".
- ^ Duray-Parmentier, C., Nielens, N., Duray, E., Janne, P., & Gourdin, M. (2022). What Are The Internal And External Solutions (Concept Of Resilience) That We Can Bring To A “Toxic” Parent (Or Perverse Narcissic Manipulator)?'. International Journal Of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 15(4), 201-11.
- ^ a b https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383819609_Boundary_Setting_Practices
Further reading
[edit]Books
- Barber BK (2001). Intrusive Parenting: How Psychological Control Affects Children and Adolescents. ISBN 978-1-55798-828-7.
- Bowman RP, Cooper K, Miles R, Carr T (1998). Innovative Strategies for Unlocking Difficult Children: Attention Seekers, Manipulative Students, Apathetic Students, Hostile Students. YouthLight. ISBN 978-1-889636-08-5.
- McMillan DL (2008). But He Says He Loves Me: How to Avoid Being Trapped in a Manipulative Relationship. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-196-3.
- Sasson JE (2002). Stop Negotiating With Your Teen: Strategies for Parenting Your Angry, Manipulative, Moody, or Depressed Adolescent. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-399-52789-0.
- Stern R (2007). The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Harmony/Rodale. ISBN 978-0-76792782-6.
- Swihart Jr EW, Cotter P (1998). The Manipulative Child: How to Regain Control and Raise Resilient, Resourceful, and Independent Kids. Random House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-553-37949-5.
Academic papers
- Bursten B (April 1972). "The manipulative personality". Archives of General Psychiatry. 26 (4): 318–321. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1972.01750220028005. PMID 5013516.
- Gomes M, Higgins DS, Lauterbach K (June 1987). "Tactics of manipulation". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 52 (6): 1219–1229. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.52.6.1219. PMID 3598864.
- Fischer A (May 2022). "Then again, what is manipulation? A broader view of a much-maligned concept". Philosophical Explorations. 25 (2): 170–188. doi:10.1080/13869795.2022.2042586. S2CID 247164081.
- Fischer A, Illies C (August 2018). "Modulated feelings: the Pleasurable-Ends-Model of manipulation". Philosophical Inquiries. 6 (2): 25–44. doi:10.4454/philinq.v6i2.202. S2CID 149998290.