PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION Meaning and
Definition
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Psychological manipulation refers to the act of using psychological tactics and techniques to exert influence, control, or exploit someone's thoughts, emotions, or behavior without their full awareness or consent. It involves subtle, deceptive, or manipulative maneuvers designed to shape or alter another person's perception of reality, opinions, or actions to serve the manipulator's interests.
This form of manipulation often relies on psychological principles, including social influence, cognitive biases, and emotional manipulation. Manipulators may employ tactics such as gaslighting (making someone doubt their own sanity or perception of events), guilt-tripping, charm, manipulation of emotions, exploiting vulnerabilities, or creating a sense of dependency or fear. These tactics aim to distort or confuse a person's judgment, decision-making, or volitional control, leading them to act or think in ways that align with the manipulator's desires.
Psychological manipulation can occur in various contexts, such as personal relationships, workplace dynamics, political campaigns, advertising, or sales strategies. It can have significant emotional, psychological, and social consequences for the targeted individual, sometimes leading to a loss of autonomy, self-esteem, or personal agency.
Recognizing psychological manipulation can be challenging, as it often occurs gradually and subtly. Awareness of potential red flags, such as feeling consistently manipulated, doubting oneself, or experiencing a decrease in confidence, can help individuals identify and protect themselves from such manipulative tactics.
Common Misspellings for PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION
- osychological manipulation
- lsychological manipulation
- -sychological manipulation
- 0sychological manipulation
- paychological manipulation
- pzychological manipulation
- pxychological manipulation
- pdychological manipulation
- peychological manipulation
- pwychological manipulation
- pstchological manipulation
- psgchological manipulation
- pshchological manipulation
- psuchological manipulation
- ps7chological manipulation
- ps6chological manipulation
- psyxhological manipulation
- psyvhological manipulation
- psyfhological manipulation
- psydhological manipulation
Etymology of PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION
The word "psychological" is derived from the Greek word "psyche", meaning "soul" or "mind", and "logos", meaning "study" or "knowledge". It refers to anything related to the study of the mind, behavior, and mental processes.
The word "manipulation" is derived from the Latin word "manipulare", meaning "to handle" or "to control". It involves skillful or artful handling or control, often with a hidden or ulterior motive.
Therefore, "psychological manipulation" combines these two elements to describe the intentional and covert influence or control of a person's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors for various purposes, such as personal gain, power, or deception.
