User:Hhavenh/Manipulation (psychology)

SUMMARY STATEMENT: Based off peer reviews, I edited the lead of the article. I mentioned something about personality disorders in the lead and added more information about persuasion and its relation to manipulation.

Reviewers username: Joyb3

Manipulation is the use of means to exploit, control, or otherwise influence others to one’s advantage. In the extreme, it is a stratagem of tricksters, swindlers, and impostors who disrespect moral principles and take advantage of others’ frailty and gullibility. At the very least, manipulation is influence used to gain control, benefits, or privileges at the expense of the others. Manipulation can often derive from personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder, narcissism, or antisocial disorder.

Manipulation differs from general influence and persuasion. Influence is generally perceived to be harmless as it respects the right of the influenced to accept or reject it and it is not unduly coercive. Persuasion is the ability to move others to a desired action, usually within the context of a specific goal. Persuasion often attempts to influence ones beliefs, religion, motivations, or behavior. Influence and persuasion are neither positive nor negative, unlike manipulation which is strictly negative.

'''Attitude is considered ones psychological construct, mentally and emotionally. Attitudes are held with respect to some aspect of the individual's world, such as an-other person, a physical object, a behavior, or a policy. Although many definitions of attitude have been proposed, most investigators would agree that a person's attitude represents his evaluation of the entity in question. Attitude is a way of thinking and feeling and it controls how individuals react. It must be emphasized that mere exposure and conditioning are concerned with attitude formation, not change.  Attitude is what many consider the root of manipulative behaviors.'''

Borderline Personality Disorder is unique in the grouping as "borderline" manipulation is characterized as unintentional and dysfunctional manipulation. 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. 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.

'''Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized as feelings of superiority, a sense of grandiosity, exhibitionism, charming but also exploitive behaviors in the interpersonal domain, success, beauty, feelings of entitlement and a lack of empathy. Narcissists employ two strategies to maintain their grandiose self: assertive self enhancement (self promotion) and antagonistic self protection (self defense).  All of these factors can lead an individual with narcississistic personality disorder to manipulate others.'''