The knowledge of manipulation methods does not have to lead to the exploitation of people - knowledge about manipulation techniques should be acquired in order to protect yourself from tricksters who prey on our naivety. Sometimes the innocent behavior of outsiders can lead to actions that we do not want to take at all. How to protect yourself against manipulation?

Manipulation is a set of methods aimed at persuading a person or a group of people to achieve the manipulator's goals. The victim of manipulation is unaware that they have been deceived and is often convinced that their behavior has not been influenced by any external factors. Meanwhile, the opposite is true - manipulation is often a carefully planned strategy that is to bring a specific effect.

Nowadays it is especially easy to fall victim to this type of dishonest tricks. The information chaos that surrounds us favors the spread of untrue, unverifiable opinions and arguments that may affect our conduct.

In order not to be influenced by various types of manipulators, it is worth learning the most frequently used persuasion techniques.

Read the difference between manipulation and persuasion

1. Manipulation methods: reciprocity rule

The rule of reciprocity says that every person who has done us some good must be repaid. The simplest example is when a friend invited us to his birthday. When organizing our own birthday party, we will probably also invite him, because this is required by the rule of reciprocity.

While such a gesture is commonly viewed as courtesy, you might as well use it to your advantage. This is because people have a very strong sense of commitment and are sometimes able to fulfill a request just because they feel obligated to do so (even when they know they are doing wrong). So it is enough to do someone a small favor, and we already have an excuse to demand from him in the future to fulfill our request.

A similar rule is widely used in trade. When shopping in a supermarket, smiling hostesses offer customers a sample of a new product - this is to make the buyer feel obligated. He thinks: if I got a sandwich with a delicious paste for free, nonow it's not a good idea to buy the whole jar.

To protect yourself from this kind of manipulation, before accepting the gift, let's consider whether the person who is giving it is doing it for a sincere motive, or whether his kindness is suspicious and may want something more in return.

2. Manipulation methods: the rule of involvement and consequence

Another manipulation technique results from a feature common to people, to strive at all costs to comply with the decisions made earlier. Social and cultural considerations dictate that we are consistently sticking to our choices, even if in the long run they require action that is contrary to our interests. In practice, this means that when a given person undertakes to do something, they usually do not withdraw their declaration later.

This rule of manipulation is often used by street tricksters - under the pretext of conducting a survey, they ask passers-by how much they would be able to spend on charity. The person asked, not wanting to appear selfish, mentions some amount. After a while, the interviewer unexpectedly reveals that he works for a foundation that raises money for homeless animals. When asked, wanting to be consistent and not look like someone who throws words to the wind, he hands the interviewer the declared amount.

In order not to be manipulated, it is worth considering before taking any action whether sticking to the rules makes sense in a given case. As a rule, our intuition tells us in such situations that someone cleverly "approached" us. Then it is better to listen to your common sense and politely decline.

3. Manipulation methods: social proof of righteousness

The use of social proof of rightness is one of the most popular manipulation techniques. The principle of its operation is based on the belief that a given behavior is right as long as other people act in the same way. It can also be called the "herd reflex". While this kind of thinking is generally beneficial, it comes with the risk of being manipulated.

Manipulation of social evidence of rightness can be encountered almost at every step - from simple, interpersonal interactions to sophisticated marketing gimmicks used by large companies. The bartender tosses a few paper bills into his tip jar because he knows that people seeing this will consider it right to tip. The cosmetics concern argues in advertisements that its products are most often chosen by Polish women - in this way it tries to prove that its brand is the best.

In a similar way, by quoting exaggerated data or using unjustified generalizations ("98% of customers aresatisfied … "," most people think that … ") you can very easily convince someone you are right. Hearing such arguments, let us not automatically accept them as right, but ask about their source. In the age of the Internet, checking the accuracy of a given information is child's play and does not take more than a few minutes.

4. Manipulation methods: the rule of liking and liking

One of the easiest ways to convince someone you are right is to … befriend them. As a rule, people are more likely to be influenced by people they know and like. This widespread observation opens up a wide field for manipulation. Scientific research has proved that it is enough for the manipulator to be similar to us (he has a similar style of dress, interests, views), and we are more willing to fulfill his request. Compliments have a similar effect on us, which are willingly used by sellers and marketers (advertising slogans such as "you are worth it").

How to protect yourself against such manipulation? One has to be sensitive to flattery and attempts to please. This is especially true of the customer-seller relationship, although manipulation in this way is not uncommon, even among people who are in closer relationships.

5. Manipulation methods: authority rule

The high-profile experiment of the American psychology professor Stanley Milgram proves that the rule of authority is an effective method of manipulation. Milgram invited a group of people who played the role of teachers to participate in his study. The teachers were to check to what extent the students remembered the pairs of words that had been given to them earlier. They were also instructed to punish them each time a student gives a wrong answer - electrocute him. The whole experiment was supervised by the professor himself, who told the teachers to constantly increase their power and inflict more and more pain on the students.

The experiment revealed that people are able to inflict suffering on an innocent person only because they were instructed to do so by an authority, that is, a professor. Of the 40 participants in the study, none withdrew, even though their victims pleaded for mercy (fortunately, it was just mock suffering). The results of the experiment shocked even psychologists who predicted that most participants would quickly give up their role as teachers.

Milgram's research shows how deeply ingrained our blind obedience to authority is. At the same time, they are often apparent authorities - people influencing us do not have to have a lot of knowledge or have unique features. It is enough for them to be respected by the general public, which in practice means having a significant amount of money, wearing expensive clothesbrands, being recognizable, etc.

To protect yourself from the influence of false authorities, you should ask yourself two questions: "Is a given authority really an expert in a given field?" and "Can you trust him?" Deeper analysis can help us separate the real authority from the empty symbol, and also discover what methods the person used to influence us.

Category:

Psychology