Summary

The Psychology of Manipulation is a scientific monograph in

field shaped with superposition of interpersonal communication

psychology, psychology of personality and influential psychology.

The fact is that the social reorientation from to-talitarism to

democracy in Russia is often accompanied by manipulative

deformations of social relations. A lot of the deformations cover

interpersonal communication. Therefore the presented book is

mainly devoted to interpersonal manipulation.

The first chapter The Methodological orientation provides the

research foundation for the investigation. The hermeneutic

paradigma as most relevant for the search tasks is chosen. Some

problems are discussed in this part: human activity as a text,

accessibility of the human activity context, expert's potentiality

and language of description relevant to hermeneutic orientation.

In the second chapter What is a Manipulation the definition of

manipulation is suggested and minimal necessary criteria for it

are discussed. Interpersonal manipulation is defined as indirect

motivating of another person to act, feel or think in a certain

manner by means of deception.

The third chapter Prerequisites of Manipulation deals with five

main sources of manipulative attitudes: cultural, social,

interpersonal, intrapersonal and technological preconditions.

The fourth chapter Manipulative Technologies consists of wide

observation of interpersonal influence means that could be used

for manipulative aims. There are information control and

transformation, deception, psychological pressure, control or

arrangement of interactive context, careful selection of

intrapersonal targets, special contact techniques and so on.

In the fifth chapter The Mechanisms of Manipulative Influence

special attention is given to the intrapersonal processes due to

which the manipulative attacks get success. Several kind of the

mechanisms has been selected: standard perception reactions,

conventional attitudes, activity patterns, controlled conclusion,

responsibility acceptance and other. It is shown that the

destructive nature of manipulation affects the personality

structures because of its inner splitting.

In the sixth chapter The Defence from Manipulative Acts there

appeared necessity to revise the traditional definition of

psychological defences owing to the new application of the old

term to the different phenomena other than psychoanalytical ones.

The original classification of the psychological defences is

proposed. Particular emphasis is given to the indicating of the

manipulative attempts.

Seventh chapter The Investigation of Manipulative Interaction

deals with the empirical searches which based upon of

hermeneutic paradigma. Some parameters of interpersonal in-

teraction important for managing manipulation situations were

examined.

Eighth chapter The Training of Defence from the Manipulation

is addressed to the communicative trainers. Therefore special

account is taken of searching for the ways preventing or buffering

manipulative deformations in interpersonal behaviour. Several

practical recommendations for trainer are proposed. The

recommendations are arranged in five directions: purpose making,

sensitivity improvement, behavioural flexibility, coping

psychotechnics and personality potency.

In ninth chapter I* it Possible to not Manipulate? some

practical implications of provided knowledge to the fields of

management, education and psychotherapy are discussed. It was

suggested the management is a most sensitive business to

manipulative components in the staff relations. The main idea is

that it is impossible to eliminate the manipulation in business

activity and not to reduce at the same time effectiveness of it.

Nevertheless we can put certain limits on the manipulation

tendencies within the area shaped by means of some criteria:

frames of agreement or contract, constancy or fluctuation of

influencive aims, ethical restrictions, constructive or destructive

effects etc.

The book consists of a lot of examples of manipulations

picked up from everyday life and from fiction literature.

The Psychology of Manipulation can be of certain interest

not for psychologists only, but for psychotherapists, politologists

and philosophers as well. It can be useful also for teachers,

managers and other people-oriented professionals.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-05