What does manipulation mean?
Manipulation, in the context of psychology and social interactions, carries a predominantly negative connotation and is defined as the act of influencing or controlling another person, often in an underhanded, unfair, or deceptive manner.
Key Characteristics
- Control and Influence: Manipulation involves using various tactics to control or influence someone's behavior, emotions, or decisions to achieve personal goals or gain power over others124.
- Exploitation of Vulnerabilities: Manipulators often exploit the vulnerabilities of their targets, such as the desire to please, fear of negative emotions, lack of assertiveness, or a blurry sense of identity12.
- Deceptive and Coercive Methods: Manipulation can involve lying, denial, rationalization, minimization, shaming, vilifying the victim, playing the victim role, and other tactics to coerce or deceive the target into compliance12.
- Emotional Intelligence: Manipulators often have high emotional intelligence, which they use to identify and exploit the emotional weaknesses of others2.
Common Manipulative Behaviors
- Guilt and Sympathy: Making the target feel guilty or eliciting sympathy to get what they want24.
- Comparison and Criticism: Comparing the target to others or criticizing them to make them feel inadequate2.
- Charm and Flattery: Using charm, praise, and flattery to build trust and lower the target's defenses12.
- Ultimatums and Threats: Issuing threats or ultimatums to coerce the target into compliance2.
- Gaslighting and Distortion: Manipulating facts, denying previous agreements or conversations, or making the target question their own reality24.
Differentiation from Influence
- Manipulation is distinct from influence and persuasion. While influence and persuasion can be neutral or positive, manipulation is generally considered negative because it involves exploiting vulnerabilities and using underhanded tactics to control others14.
In summary, manipulation is a form of social influence that is characterized by its exploitative, deceptive, and coercive nature, aimed at achieving personal gain at the expense of others.