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Formulate the reasons for manipulation in interpersonal communications. Manipulations in communication

I agree with the idea of ​​Frederick Perls that the main reason for the emergence of the phenomenon of manipulation lies in the eternal internal conflict of a person between his desire for independence and independence, on the one hand, and the desire to find support in his environment, on the other... [...]

Not fully trusting his own strengths, a person believes that his salvation lies in relying on others. However, he does not completely trust others either. Therefore, he embarks on the slippery slope of manipulation in order to put the “others” on a leash so that he can always control them and, under this condition, trust them more. He is likened to a child who slides down a slide, clinging to the edge of another’s clothing, and at the same time trying to control him; or a person who refuses to drive but tries to direct the driver. We will call this first and main reason for manipulation mistrust. [...]

Erich Fromm points to another reason for manipulation. He believes that normal relationships between people are love. The world's great religions tell us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but this is precisely the problem. How many people know how to love themselves? Most do not even realize that, with all their desire, they could not love their neighbor, since don't like themselves.

We tend to believe that the more perfect and flawless we are in the eyes of others, the more we will be loved. In fact, the opposite is closer to the truth: we are loved the more the more we are ready to accept our human weaknesses. However, earning love is not easy in any case, so the lazy manipulator has to be content with its pitiful alternative: he is desperately trying to achieve undivided power over others, power that would force the other person to do what he likes to him, manipulator, think as needed to him, feel what He wants, in a word, to turn another into a thing, my obedient thing.

The third reason for manipulation is offered to us by James Bugental and the existentialists. Risk and uncertainty, they say, surround us on all sides. Anything can happen to us at any moment; this world is unpredictable. Conscious of the conditions of his existence in the world - his “existential situation” - a person feels himself helpless.

Passive manipulator in connection with this, he takes the following position: “Oh, I can’t control everything that can happen to me?! Well, then I won’t control anything at all!” As Bugental writes, "Seeing the unpredictability of his life, he gives up and elevates the feeling of inability to influence what happens to him to the rank of an absolute law. He completely turns himself into an object" [ 3 ]. The passive manipulator falls into a stupor, which aggravates his helplessness. To the uninitiated it may seem that from now on the passive manipulator becomes a victim of the active one. Nothing like this. Shouts of "I give up! Do what you want with me!" - nothing more than a trick of a passive manipulator. As Perls showed well, in any battle between the “trampled” and the “trampled” the passive side almost always wins. A well-known example is a mother who “feels bad” when she cannot cope with her children. Her helplessness does its job: the children become more obedient.

Active manipulator acts differently: he takes advantage of the helplessness of others. By establishing control over his willing victims, he experiences a deep sense of satisfaction that allows him not to notice one's own helplessness in the face of the world.

“Look, for example, at parents who cannot come to terms with the idea that over time their power over their children invariably weakens and sooner or later may disappear altogether, look at how they reject and drive away such thoughts, flattering themselves with bright hope, that their watchful eye will keep these yellow-haired offspring under control until the last spark of life goes out in it. And what remains for them? How can they satisfy this need of theirs and make their children dependent on themselves? How can they suppress such a dangerous desire for independence in children? " [ 4 ].

Usually parents play the role of “trampled on”, and children play along with them from the position of “trampled on”. In this situation, the “if-then” behavioral scheme becomes especially popular: “If you eat a potato, you can watch TV,” or: “If you do your homework, you can drive a car.” The child masters this technique no less successfully: “If I wash the dishes, what will it cost me?” "If Jim's dad lets him drive his car on the weekends, why shouldn't I?"

A real active manipulator might simply bark in response: “Do as I say, no questions asked!” In business, this reaction is common: “I own 51 percent of the company, and they will wear THIS uniform because I want it so!” I remember the founder of the college where I once studied saying, “I don’t care what color the buildings are as long as they’re blue.”

A fourth possible reason for manipulative behavior is given in the works of Jay Haley, Eric Berne and William Glasser. While working with patients with schizophrenia, Haley discovered that they were afraid close relationships with people, they try not to enter into such relationships and avoid the very possibility of their occurrence. Bern theorized that people start playing games with each other in order to better manage their emotions and avoid proximity. Glasser, in turn, hypothesized that one of the main human fears is fear involvement. Based on this, a manipulator can be defined as a person who tries to avoid intimacy and involvement with other people, and therefore interacts with them through certain rituals.

Finally, the fifth possible reason Albert Ellis named the manipulation. According to him, early in adulthood, each of us comes to some false conclusions about what life is like and then begins to behave accordingly. One of these conclusions is: we need to All approved [ 5 ]. A passive manipulator, Ellis believes, builds his life precisely on this stupid axiom, and therefore fundamentally does not want to be honest and frank with others, trying by hook or by crook to please them.

To the question “What is manipulation?” most often you can get an answer about psychological influence in order to achieve a certain personal benefit. However, such influence is often hidden.

What is manipulation

Manipulation is a kind of purpose whose goal is to force a person to take certain actions against his wishes. In this case, the influence is not obvious, but hidden. The essence of manipulation is that the person who is being pressured must himself want to take certain actions, even if it is unprofitable for her.

They resort to it when they are afraid of refusal or are obviously confident in the negative outcome of a particular enterprise. Perhaps even those individuals who do not fully understand what manipulation is, without realizing it themselves, quite often use this psychological technique to achieve their goals. Even children's whims can to some extent be attributed to manipulation.

Why do people resort to this

In order to perform a certain manipulation, there must be a reason, which can be either conscious or subconscious. So, the following forces people to use such methods:

  • the danger of finding yourself in a difficult situation or (in this case, the person begins to use others in order to get around inconvenient moments);
  • lack of self-confidence often leads to a person subconsciously trying to influence others;
  • social pressure, as well as stereotypes associated with a particular situation, often prompt manipulations, the purpose of which is to conceal or justify certain actions;
  • a negative attitude towards a certain person, as well as the desire for revenge, often becomes the cause of psychological impact;
  • manipulation often becomes an unscrupulous method of achieving selfish goals.

How to neutralize manipulation

Having understood what manipulation is, it is important to familiarize yourself with the methods of neutralizing it. So, to avoid psychological impact, it is recommended to use the following techniques:

  • Having recognized the manipulation, you should immediately and openly declare the inadmissibility of such influence on you (if it is caused by self-doubt, then such a sharp answer will immediately discourage your opponent);
  • revealing the intentions of the manipulator and exposing her to others (publication of inconvenient facts will make the influence ineffective and inappropriate);
  • if you feel pressure from your opponent, call him to a frank conversation in order to clarify the situation and determine the motives for his behavior (during the conversation, a compromise can be found);
  • enough effective method the fight against manipulation is to criticize the person who is trying to put pressure on you;
  • if you understand that diplomatic methods have not helped you get rid of outside pressure, resist your opponent by entering into open confrontation with him (the confrontation will unsettle him);
  • try to respond to manipulation with manipulation.

How to understand that you are being manipulated?

Manipulation (impact) can have a variety of manifestations, and in order to effectively resist it, it is important to be able to recognize it. So, it is accompanied by the following situations:

  • a feeling of psychological discomfort and lack of logic in the sequence of events;
  • the contradiction between the verbal and non-verbal messages of the opponent;
  • tension in conversation;
  • mood swings in the manipulator depending on whether he manages to achieve what he wants;
  • atmosphere of mistrust between interlocutors.

Simple tricks

The following simple manipulations are distinguished:

  • an attempt to achieve one’s own goal, relying on a feeling of resentment or guilt (in this case, the opponent begins to feel obligated to please the “victim”);
  • psychological impact by silence is aimed at demonstrating mental distress and drawing attention to one’s experiences;
  • manipulation of anger and other negative feelings is based on the fact that the blackmailer demonstrates his unbalanced psychological state, trying to get certain actions or concessions from you;
  • pressure on the feeling of love is intended for close people (often such situations arise in families or couples when one of the parties speculates on a good attitude, trying to achieve selfish goals);
  • promising and instilling a certain hope in the interlocutor is a fairly common method that is used to provoke a person to specific actions or concessions;
  • vanity manipulation involves exerting pressure by demonstrating high status;
  • Sarcasm and ridicule can unsettle a person, which makes him more malleable in terms of control.

Complex manipulations

Complex manipulation techniques can be described as follows:

  • a technique such as shifting emphasis is quite common (the same news can be presented in completely different ways if you focus on certain facts);
  • certain words or situations can cause a storm of emotions in a person, which facilitates the process of manipulating him;
  • in order to give a person instructions for certain actions, it is not necessary to speak about it directly (for this it is more reasonable to use interrogative intonation or the form of a sentence);
  • as well as playing on strong emotions in order to make their illegal actions less significant against their background;
  • if the manipulator does not have a clear argument for his behavior and demands, he begins to aggressively demonstrate resentment, trying to avoid a constructive conversation;
  • the method of shifting a dispute is that, without sufficiently convincing arguments in defense of an argument, a person begins to actively criticize it;
  • to confuse the opponent, the manipulator can bombard him with a whole stream of questions with the goal of later accusing him of misunderstanding and unwillingness to give a detailed answer.

How does this happen

The algorithm for manipulating public consciousness involves going through several successive stages:

  • drawing up a psychological portrait of a group or a specific person in order to determine basic beliefs and values;
  • bringing the planned situation into line with the current climate in society through influence through the media and other techniques;
  • introduction of certain mechanisms that will facilitate the transition to a new state;
  • subsequent monitoring of the situation in order to prevent deviation from the given course of development.

Types of manipulations

Trying to achieve certain goals, a person can use various types of psychological influence techniques. In this regard, it is important to understand what manipulations are usually distinguished:

  • conscious manipulation is purposeful and planned (the person is clearly aware of the algorithm of his actions to achieve the desired effect);
  • unconscious manipulation does not have a specific goal, and the individual has not developed a clear plan and idea of ​​methods of influencing the opponent (often the scenario develops chaotically, under the influence of strong emotions);
  • linguistic (or communicative) manipulation is based on the oratorical abilities of the individual, through which he seeks to provoke the interlocutor to certain actions;
  • Behavioral manipulations are based on the performance of a certain kind of behavior and actions that do not require additional verbal techniques.

Means of manipulation

In order to perform the manipulation, an individual can use the following means:

  • in order to convince the opponent that he is right and call for specific actions;
  • emotional component, which is aimed at demonstrating own feelings or calling them from the interlocutor;
  • appeal to urgency, which unsettles the opponent and requires quick, rash decisions;
  • constant repetition of the same statement in order to put pressure on the interlocutor;
  • highlighting a certain fragment from the general context of events in order to present the situation from the most advantageous side;
  • talking about a problem without mentioning the context and a number of important circumstances that can clarify the real state of affairs;
  • suppression of opposing opinion through speculation;
  • use to convince others that one is right;
  • presenting one’s own opinion as objective and confirmed information from reliable sources;
  • putting pressure on the interlocutor using one’s authority or high social position.

Vulnerability

The following individuals are most likely to be manipulated:

  • those who want to please others in everything and receive constant approval;
  • people who are afraid of quarrels and hostile attitudes;
  • dependent and indecisive individuals (only depending on others do they feel emotional comfort);
  • trusting people, confident in the honesty and correctness of others;
  • altruists who consider it their duty to help everyone in everything;
  • impulsive individuals who make important decisions under the influence of momentary emotions;
  • young people who do not yet have their own formed life position and are in search of authority;
  • single people who are looking for communication and friendly relationships;
  • insecure individuals who consider the opinions of others to be more correct and rational than their own.

Conclusion

Manipulation of people is a powerful mechanism of psychological influence (often hidden), which involves forcing the interlocutor to take some action (the latter must be sure that he himself wants it). Such phenomena can occur both consciously and unconsciously. Moreover, the success of the manipulation depends both on the person himself and on the psychological characteristics of the individual on whom the influence is directed.

The reasons for manipulation may lie in the character of the individual or in external circumstances. So, most often it is resorted to by people who are terrified of crisis situations and are trying in every possible way to avoid them. Also, these kinds of techniques are used by insecure individuals who simply do not see any other way for themselves to achieve their goals. Manipulation can cause strained relationships between people and is also an unscrupulous method of obtaining benefits.

In order to resist manipulation, you need to find the strength to give a tough answer and issue a warning about the inadmissibility of such actions. A person must understand that his intentions have been revealed. It's better if this fact will receive wide publicity in order to block the manipulator from further paths to action.

Manipulation- the most common type of human communication. The Oxford Dictionary defines manipulation as the act of influencing or controlling people in a particularly disparaging way. With manipulative communication, the goal is to achieve control over the behavior and thoughts of another person. This brings manipulation closer to the imperative. The fundamental difference between these types of communication from each other is that the partner is not informed about true goals communication: they either simply hide from him or are replaced by others. So, manipulation is the hidden control of another person, such a psychological impact on him, which is designed to ensure that the manipulator secretly receives unilateral advantages. But this happens in such a way that the partner retains the illusion of independence in the decisions made. The power of manipulation lies in its hidden nature; both the fact of influence and, naturally, its purpose are concealed.

Manipulation in communication is one of the most effective levers of pressure on a partner and managing the process of interaction between people. This technique is used both in personal communication at the intrafamily level and in a team.

Any communication is, by and large, manipulation. Everything we say, in our opinion, should cause a certain reaction.

The purpose of this work is to consider the topic “Manipulation in communication”. To achieve this goal, I will consider the following questions:

Reasons for manipulation.

Rules for neutralizing manipulation.

Characteristics of manipulations in communication.

Manipulation is a type of spiritual, psychological influence on a person (group, society);

Manipulations have a hidden nature of influence (an attempt at manipulation will only be successful when the fact of influence is not realized by the addressee and the final goal of the manipulator is not known to him; it is important for the manipulator that the addressee considers these thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions to be his own, and not “induced” from the outside, and recognized himself as responsible for them);

Manipulation involves playing on human weaknesses - “targets of influence” (self-esteem, sense of ownership, financial wealth, power, fame, career advancement, communication, professional qualifications, fame, hostility towards us, etc.) - no one wants to seem like a coward , the stupid, on the contrary, everyone wants to look dignified, be generous, provide patronage, receive praise, etc.; Manipulation involves inducement to perform certain actions.

Manipulation is an important element of business relationships and can be used constructively in management practice at the level of interpersonal contacts:

Firstly, to create a halo for the head of an organization or division;

Secondly, to soften the form of coercion, which no leader can do without;

Thirdly, to create a unified direction of the desires of subordinates

to achieve the goals of the organization.

Instead of using force, a leader can control subordinates unnoticed, creating in them the illusion of complete independence and freedom. And at the same time, he must be careful not to allow his subordinates to quietly control him and use him for their own personal purposes.

The entire set of manipulation tricks used in business communication (in disputes, discussions, polemics) can be conditionally combined into three groups: organizational-procedural, psychological and logical manipulations.

Organizational and procedural manipulations.

Organizational and procedural manipulations can be used by the organizers of the negotiation process and discussion. They are aimed either at disrupting the discussion, or at deliberately clashing the opposing views of the discussion participants in order to heat up the atmosphere, or at reducing negotiations to a discussion option that is obviously unacceptable to opponents.

Examples of manipulations in this group are:

“formation of a primary attitude” (the initial presentation of a word to those whose opinion is known, impresses others and is capable of forming in them a certain attitude towards the perception of any information);

“providing materials only the day before” (the provision of working materials by interaction participants - projects, contacts, programs - shortly before the start of work makes it difficult to become familiar with these materials);

“preventing repeated discussion” (the receipt of new, noteworthy data that could influence the development of a final decision is deliberately not allowed);

“heat of the atmosphere” (alternately giving the floor to aggressive opponents who allow mutual insults leads to the atmosphere of the discussion heating up to a critical degree and can provoke the cessation of the discussion);

“suspension of the discussion on the desired option” (the idea of ​​the last option discussed can form the necessary psychological attitude towards the perception of the necessary information);

“selective loyalty in observing regulations” (some speakers are strictly limited in regulations and the nature of their statements, others are not);

“break in discussion” (a break is announced at the moment when an inconvenient and unacceptable solution may be developed);

“blowing off steam on unimportant issues” (the discussion begins with minor issues, and only after that, when the participants in the discussion are already tired, an issue is brought up for discussion that they would like to discuss without increased criticism);

“excessive information” (a lot of draft decisions are being prepared that simply cannot be compared in a short time of discussion);

“loss of documents” (“accidentally” documents are lost that can negatively affect the course of the discussion).

Psychological manipulation.

Psychological manipulation is based on the use of techniques that put the interlocutor into a state of irritation, playing on his feelings of pride and shame. Such manipulations include:

“irritating the opponent” (bringing him out of a state of mental balance with accusations, reproaches, ridicule, so that he makes an erroneous statement and interrupts communication);

“using unclear words” (the opponent is embarrassed to admit that he does not know the meaning of a word);

“too fast or too slow pace of discussion” (too fast a pace of discussion does not allow the partner to “analyze” all the incoming information, too slow a pace forces the opponent to rush the partners and skip details);

“translation into the realm of speculation” (the polemic is transferred into the direction of denunciation, the opponent is forced to either justify himself or explain what is not related to the problem under discussion);

“mind reading on suspicion” (the point of the trick is to use the “mind reading” option to ward off possible suspicions);

“understatement with a hint of special motives” (the opponent is hinted that in this case much more can be said, but this is not done for any special reasons);

“false shame” (the opponent is brought into a state where he is ashamed to publicly admit ignorance of something);

“demonstration of resentment” (threat of disruption of interaction due to the “resentment” of the partner);

“frankness of the statement” (the emphasis is on the special confidence of the message following these words, in contrast to what was said earlier);

“apparent inattention and misunderstanding” (with the help of paraphrasing or summarizing, an attempt is made to change the meaning of the ideas expressed by the partner);

“visible support” (after distracting, calming support, the initiator of the trick reveals the shortcomings of the arguments put forward by the opponent);

“reducing the argument to personal opinion” (the opponent is forced to prove the opposite, to justify himself);

“silence or half-truth” (consciously withholding information from

partner or mixing lies and reliable information, taking phrases out of context, one-sided reporting of facts, inaccurate or vague wording);

“forcing a strictly unambiguous answer, using questions that require a choice from two alternatives, when in fact there are other possibilities” (often perceived by the opponent as a manifestation of integrity);

“multiple questions” (in one question the opponent is asked not one, but several heterogeneous and little compatible questions with each other, and then, depending on the answer, he is accused of not understanding the essence of the problem, or of not fully answering the questions);

“innocent” blackmail” (“friendly” hints about mistakes, blunders and violations committed by the addressee in the past, playful mention of “old sins” or personal secrets of the partner);

The main reason for manipulation is the eternal conflict of a person with himself, since in Everyday life he is forced to rely both on himself and on the external environment.

A person never trusts himself completely. Consciously or subconsciously, he always believes that his salvation lies in others. However, he does not completely trust others either. Therefore, he embarks on the slippery path of manipulation so that “others” are always on his leash, so that he can control them and, under this condition, trust them longer. The first and main reason for manipulation is Mistrust.

The second reason for manipulation is love. Love necessarily presupposes knowing a person as he is and respecting his true essence.

The great world religions call us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and here the vicious circle of our lives closes. Modern man understands nothing of these commandments. He has no idea what it means to love. Most people, no matter how much they want, cannot love their neighbor because they do not love themselves.

Love is a victory that is not easy to achieve. And in essence, the lazy manipulator has only one pathetic alternative to love - desperate, complete power over another person; power that forces another person to do what HE wants; think what HE wants; feel what HE wants. This power allows you to make a thing out of another person, HIS thing.

The third reason for manipulation is risk and uncertainty, which surround us on all sides." Anything can happen to us at any moment. A person feels absolutely helpless when he finds himself face to face with an existential problem. Therefore, a passive manipulator takes the following position: “Oh, I can’t control everything that can happen to me?!” Well, I won’t control anything! "

Bitterly aware of the unpredictability of his life, a person falls into inertia, completely turning himself into an object, which greatly increases his helplessness. To an ignorant person it may seem that from now on the passive manipulator has become a victim of the active one. This is wrong. Shouts: "I give up! Do with me what you want!" - nothing more than a cowardly trick of a passive manipulator.

The fourth reason for manipulation is fear of a difficult situation. A manipulator is a person who treats people ritualistically, trying his best to avoid intimacy in relationships and difficult situations.

The fifth reason for manipulation is the need to gain the approval of everyone. A passive manipulator is a person who fundamentally does not want to be truthful and honest with others, but who tries by hook or by crook to please everyone, since he builds his life on this stupid axiom.

At the same time, manipulations become negative when violence against an individual exceeds the level dictated by the specifics of the work. Accordingly, communicative culture presupposes the ability not only to constructively use manipulation, but also to resist it.

The rules for neutralizing manipulation are aimed at helping a person not become an object of manipulation by immoral partners.

Resistance to manipulative influence requires the ability, firstly, to recognize manipulations and, secondly, to neutralize them.

In search of ways to recognize manipulative influence, you can go in the following ways: tracking changes in the situation; analysis of the mechanisms of manipulative influence.

* Tracking changes in the situation allows you to detect the effects that make up the features of the manipulation. Of course, the internal “emotional alarm clock” of all people has different “qualifications,” but even the most naive recipient of manipulative influence is, to one degree or another, capable of reacting to a very wide range of signs of manipulation.

A common sign of manipulation is the imbalance of certain elements of interaction, such as:

  • · imbalance in the distribution of responsibility for actions taken and decisions made (for example, we suddenly notice that we “should” do something, not knowing where the obligation came from, or, on the contrary, we showed an incomprehensible and unexpected irresponsibility in making some decision);
  • presence of force pressure;

imbalance of the elements of the situation (unusuality of the targets of influence (topics of conversation, change in directions of conversation, etc.), unusual arrangement or presentation of information, confusion of emphasis on minor details, etc.);

  • · inconsistencies in the partner’s behavior (for example, when comparing the content of words with hand movements or facial expressions);
  • · the desire to stereotype the behavior of the addressee (those cases when it becomes noticeable that someone wants us to behave in “accordance with...”, most often this looks like an appeal to certain role positions, a desire to classify them as one or another category of people ).
  • * Based on the analysis of the mechanisms of manipulative influence, the task of detecting manipulation is to be attentive to the reactions of the addressee.

The following types of such indicators can be specified:

  • · unjustifiably frequent appearance or emphasized obvious manifestation of “mental automatisms” in the behavior of the recipient of the influence;
  • · regression to infantile reactions - crying, aggression, melancholy, feelings of loneliness, etc., especially if this is precisely timed to certain situations or events;
  • · lack of time allotted for making a decision (it is important to find out who is creating this effect);
  • · a state of narrowed consciousness, which can manifest itself in a limited range of ideas being discussed, in “cyclical” statements (for example, changing formulations or regular return to one topic), setting only situational goals, etc.
  • · unexpected change in background conditions, i.e. emotional reaction addressee - deterioration of mood, irritation, dull resentment and other shifts to the side negative emotions(We should be especially wary of cases of emotional shifts that are unjustified from the point of view of the situation).

There are several ways to neutralize manipulative tricks. The most commonly used are the following:

  • · an open announcement about the inadmissibility of using manipulation (usually on the eve of a discussion, polemic or dispute, the parties openly agree not to resort to tricks in relation to each other);
  • · exposing the trick, i.e. revealing its essence (especially effective if it is possible not only to name the trick used “by name”, but also to explain in detail to others its purpose and features of application in a given situation);
  • · a repeated reminder of the inadmissibility of using tricks;
  • · “informational dialogue” (if a communication partner emotionally demands something or accuses him of something, you need to find out as accurately and in detail as possible everything that is happening to him, without entering into arguments or explanations). If your partner changes the pressure, causing you to resist, you need to firmly hold on to the position of a person who wants to find out the other’s opinion. The ability to pose a question that requires a meaningful and detailed answer also activates one’s own intellectual efforts;
  • · “constructive criticism” (when a partner uses manipulative techniques, constructive criticism allows you to bring the conversation to the level of open intellectual struggle; this allows you to protect yourself from manipulation and remain ethical towards your interlocutor);
  • · “civilized confrontation” (when all methods have been used unsuccessfully, you should firmly make it clear to your partner that communication in this way does not seem constructive to you, and if he insists on his own, you are ready to interrupt communication).
  • · “trick for trick” (this method of neutralization can be used when all the previous ones have not given a positive result).

Form No. 25

MOSCOW REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

TEST

by discipline

BUSINESS ETHICS

on the topic

MANIPULATIONS IN COMMUNICATION

Completed by: Savich Denis Viktorovich

1st year student

Faculty of Management and

information technologies

correspondence department

record code 414-МЗ/08

group 81-MZ

Teacher: Agagabyan Galina Khachaturovna,

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences,

Grade: ___________

Teacher's signature: ____________

Test work in the discipline “Ethics of Business Communication”

on the topic of “manipulation in communication.”

1. Introduction ________________________________________________ 2

2. Characteristics of manipulations in communication _____________________ 3

2.1 Organizational and procedural manipulations______________4

2.2 Psychological manipulation______________________________5

2.3 Logical manipulations______________________________7

3. Reasons for manipulation_____________________________________________8

4. Rules for neutralizing manipulation________________________10

5. Conclusion_______________________________________________14

6. List of used literature______________________________ 15

    INTRODUCTION

Manipulation is the most common type of human communication. The Oxford Dictionary defines manipulation as the act of influencing or controlling people in a particularly disparaging way.
With manipulative communication, the goal is to achieve control over the behavior and thoughts of another person. This brings manipulation closer to the imperative. The fundamental difference between these types of communication is that the partner is not informed about the true goals of communication: they are either simply hidden from him or replaced by others.
So, manipulation is the hidden control of another person, such a psychological impact on him, which is designed to ensure that the manipulator secretly receives unilateral advantages. But this happens in such a way that the partner retains the illusion of independence in the decisions made. The power of manipulation lies in its hidden nature; both the fact of influence and, naturally, its purpose are concealed.

Manipulation in communication is one of the most effective levers of pressure on a partner and managing the process of interaction between people. This technique is used both in personal communication at the intrafamily level and in a team.

Any communication is, by and large, manipulation. Everything we say, in our opinion, should cause a certain reaction.

The purpose of this work is to consider the topic “Manipulation in communication”. To achieve this goal, I will consider the following questions:

    Characteristics of manipulations in communication.

    Reasons for manipulation.

    Rules for neutralizing manipulation.

    Characteristics of manipulations in communication.

Manipulation is a type of spiritual, psychological influence on a person (group, society);

Manipulations have a hidden nature of influence (an attempt at manipulation will only be successful when the fact of influence is not realized by the addressee and the final goal of the manipulator is not known to him; it is important for the manipulator that the addressee considers these thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions to be his own, and not “induced” from the outside, and recognized himself as responsible for them);

Manipulation involves playing on human weaknesses - “targets of influence” (self-esteem, sense of ownership, financial wealth, power, fame, career advancement, communication, professional qualifications, fame, hostility towards us, etc.) - no one wants to seem like a coward , the stupid, on the contrary, everyone wants to look dignified, be generous, provide patronage, receive praise, etc.; Manipulation involves inducement to perform certain actions.

Manipulation is an important element of business relationships and can be used constructively in management practice at the level of interpersonal contacts:

Firstly, to create a halo for the head of an organization or division;

Secondly, to soften the form of coercion, which no leader can do without;

Thirdly, to create a unified direction of the desires of subordinates

to achieve the goals of the organization.

Instead of using force, a leader can control subordinates unnoticed, creating in them the illusion of complete independence and freedom. And at the same time, he must be careful not to allow his subordinates to quietly control him and use him for their own personal purposes.

The entire set of manipulation tricks used in business communication (in disputes, discussions, polemics) can be conditionally combined into three groups: organizational-procedural, psychological and logical manipulations.

2.1 Organizational and procedural manipulations.

Organizational and procedural manipulations can be used by the organizers of the negotiation process and discussion. They are aimed either at disrupting the discussion, or at deliberately clashing the opposing views of the discussion participants in order to heat up the atmosphere, or at reducing negotiations to a discussion option that is obviously unacceptable to opponents.

Examples of manipulations of this group are:

“formation of a primary attitude” (the initial presentation of a word to those whose opinion is known, impresses others and is capable of forming in them a certain attitude towards the perception of any information);

“providing materials only the day before” (the provision of working materials by interaction participants - projects, contacts, programs - shortly before the start of work makes it difficult to become familiar with these materials);

“preventing repeated discussion” (the receipt of new, noteworthy data that could influence the development of a final decision is deliberately not allowed);

“heat of the atmosphere” (alternately giving the floor to aggressive opponents who allow mutual insults leads to the atmosphere of the discussion heating up to a critical degree and can provoke the cessation of the discussion);

“suspension of the discussion on the desired option” (the idea of ​​the last option discussed can form the necessary psychological attitude towards the perception of the necessary information);

“selective loyalty in observing regulations” (some speakers are strictly limited in regulations and the nature of their statements, others are not);

“break in discussion” (a break is announced at the moment when an inconvenient and unacceptable solution may be developed);

“blowing off steam on unimportant issues” (the discussion begins with minor issues, and only after that, when the participants in the discussion are already tired, an issue is brought up for discussion that they would like to discuss without increased criticism);

“excessive information” (a lot of draft decisions are being prepared that simply cannot be compared in a short time of discussion);

“loss of documents” (“accidentally” documents are lost that can negatively affect the course of the discussion).

2.2 Psychological manipulations.

Psychological manipulation are based on the use of techniques that put the interlocutor into a state of irritation, playing on his feelings of pride and shame. Such manipulations include:

“irritating the opponent” (bringing him out of a state of mental balance with accusations, reproaches, ridicule, so that he makes an erroneous statement and interrupts communication);

“using unclear words” (the opponent is embarrassed to admit that he does not know the meaning of a word);

“too fast or too slow pace of discussion” (too fast a pace of discussion does not allow the partner to “analyze” all the incoming information, too slow a pace forces the opponent to rush the partners and skip details);

“translation into the realm of speculation” (the polemic is transferred into the direction of denunciation, the opponent is forced to either justify himself or explain what is not related to the problem under discussion);

“mind reading on suspicion” (the point of the trick is to use the “mind reading” option to ward off possible suspicions);

“understatement with a hint of special motives” (the opponent is hinted that in this case much more can be said, but this is not done for any special reasons);

“false shame” (the opponent is brought into a state where he is ashamed to publicly admit ignorance of something);

“demonstration of resentment” (threat of disruption of interaction due to the “resentment” of the partner);

“frankness of the statement” (the emphasis is on the special confidence of the message following these words, in contrast to what was said earlier);

“apparent inattention and misunderstanding” (with the help of paraphrasing or summarizing, an attempt is made to change the meaning of the ideas expressed by the partner);

“visible support” (after distracting, calming support, the initiator of the trick reveals the shortcomings of the arguments put forward by the opponent);

“reducing the argument to personal opinion” (the opponent is forced to prove the opposite, to justify himself);

“silence or half-truth” (consciously withholding information from

partner or mixing lies and reliable information, taking phrases out of context, one-sided reporting of facts, inaccurate or vague wording);

“forcing a strictly unambiguous answer, using questions that require a choice from two alternatives, when in fact there are other possibilities” (often perceived by the opponent as a manifestation of integrity);

“multiple questions” (in one question the opponent is asked not one, but several heterogeneous and little compatible questions with each other, and then, depending on the answer, he is accused of not understanding the essence of the problem, or of not fully answering the questions);

“innocent” blackmail” (“friendly” hints about mistakes, blunders and violations committed by the addressee in the past, playful mention of “old sins” or personal secrets of the partner);

2.3 Logical manipulations.

Logical manipulations built on conscious violations of the basic laws and rules of formal logic or, conversely, on their skillful use in order to influence an insufficiently informed opponent. The main techniques of this group come down to the following list:

“thesis uncertainty” (fuzzy and vague formulation of the main thesis allows for different interpretations of the expressed idea);

“failure to comply with the law of sufficient reason” (arguments, judgments, arguments are correct, but not sufficient);

“vicious circle in proof” (this trick is intended to prove a thought with the help of itself, only said in different words);

“cause-and-effect alogism” (reasoning is obviously based on logical error: “after this means, as a result of this”, i.e. the temporary connection between phenomena is deliberately replaced by a cause-and-effect one);

“incomplete refutation” (from the opponent’s stated system of arguments, the most vulnerable argument is selected, broken down in a sharp form, and the impression is created that the remaining arguments do not even deserve attention);

“illegal analogies” (the evidence uses analogies that are absolutely incommensurate with the arguments under consideration).

The constructive use of manipulation is intended to contribute to the preservation and development of business relationships and the personalities of partners. It should be borne in mind that the reverse influence of Manipulative communication on a person exists in cases where, due to its frequent use,

good technique of use and, accordingly, constant

success in this field, a person begins to consider manipulative communication the only correct one. In this case, all human communication comes down to Manipulation of other people (both when it is necessary and when it is completely unjustified).

    Reasons for manipulation.

The main reason for manipulation is a person’s eternal conflict with himself, since in everyday life he is forced to rely both on himself and on the external environment.

A person never trusts himself completely. Consciously or subconsciously, he always believes that his salvation lies in others. However, he does not completely trust others either. Therefore, he embarks on the slippery path of manipulation so that “others” are always on his leash, so that he can control them and, under this condition, trust them longer. The first and main reason for manipulation is Mistrust.

The second reason for manipulation is this is Love. Love necessarily presupposes knowing a person as he is and respecting his true essence.

The great world religions call us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and here the vicious circle of our lives closes. Modern man does not understand anything about these commandments. He has no idea what it means to love. Most people, no matter how much they want, cannot love their neighbor because they do not love themselves.

Love is a victory that is not easy to achieve. And in essence, the lazy manipulator has only one pathetic alternative to love - desperate, complete power over another person; power that forces another person to do what HE wants; think what HE wants; feel what HE wants. This power allows you to make a thing out of another person, HIS thing.

The third reason for manipulation is risk and uncertainty, surround us from all sides." Anything can happen to us at any moment. A person feels absolutely helpless when he finds himself face to face with an existential problem. Therefore, a passive manipulator takes the following position: "Oh, I can’t control everything , what could happen to me?! Well, I won’t control anything! "

Bitterly aware of the unpredictability of his life, a person falls into inertia, completely turning himself into an object, which greatly increases his helplessness. To an ignorant person it may seem that from now on the passive manipulator has become a victim of the active one. This is wrong. Shouts: "I give up! Do with me what you want!" - nothing more than a cowardly trick of a passive manipulator.

The fourth reason for manipulation is fear of embarrassment. A manipulator is a person who treats people ritualistically, trying his best to avoid intimacy in relationships and difficult situations.

The fifth reason for manipulation is need to get everyone's approval. A passive manipulator is a person who fundamentally does not want to be truthful and honest with others, but who tries by hook or by crook to please everyone, since he builds his life on this stupid axiom.

At the same time, manipulations become negative when violence against an individual exceeds the level dictated by the specifics of the work. Accordingly, communicative culture presupposes the ability not only to constructively use manipulation, but also to resist it.

    Rules for neutralizing manipulation.

Rules for neutralizing manipulation are aimed at helping a person not become an object of manipulation by immoral partners. Resistance to manipulative influence requires skill

firstly, to recognize manipulations and, secondly, to neutralize them.

In search of ways to recognize manipulative influence, you can follow the following paths: tracking changes in the situation; analysis of the mechanisms of manipulative influence.

Tracking changes in the situation allows you to detect the effects that make up the features of the manipulation. Of course, the internal “emotional alarm clock” of all people has different “qualifications,” but even the most naive recipient of manipulative influence is, to one degree or another, capable of responding to a very wide range of signs

manipulation. A common sign of manipulation is a violation

balance of certain interaction elements, such as:

Imbalance in the distribution of responsibility for actions taken and decisions made (for example, we suddenly notice that we “should” do something, not knowing where the obligation came from, or, on the contrary, we showed an incomprehensible and unexpected irresponsibility in making some decision);

Presence of force pressure;

Violation of the balance of the elements of the situation (unusuality of the targets of influence (topics of conversation, change in directions of conversation, etc.), unusual arrangement or presentation of information, confusion of emphasis on minor details, etc.);

Inconsistencies in the partner’s behavior (for example, when comparing the content of words with hand movements or facial expressions);

The desire to stereotype the behavior of the addressee (those cases when it becomes noticeable that someone wants us to behave “in accordance with...”, most often this looks like an appeal to certain role positions, a desire to be classified as one or another category of people).

Based on the analysis of the mechanisms of manipulative influence, the task of detecting manipulation is to be attentive to the reactions of the addressee.

The following types of such indicators can be specified:

Unjustifiably frequent appearance or emphasized obvious manifestation of “mental automatisms” in the behavior of the recipient of the influence;

Regression to infantile reactions - crying, aggression, melancholy, feelings of loneliness, etc., especially if this is precisely timed to certain situations or events;

Lack of time available to make a decision (it is important to find out who is creating this effect);

A state of narrowed consciousness, which can manifest itself in a limited range of ideas being discussed, in “cyclical” statements (for example, changing formulations or regular return to one topic), setting only situational goals, etc.

An unexpected change in background states, i.e., the emotional reaction of the addressee - deterioration in mood, irritation, deep resentment and other shifts towards negative emotions (cases of unjustified emotional shifts from the point of view of the situation should be especially alarming).

There are several ways to neutralize manipulative tricks. The most commonly used are the following:

an open announcement about the inadmissibility of using manipulation (usually on the eve of a discussion, polemic or dispute, the parties openly agree not to resort to tricks in relation to each other);

exposing the trick, i.e. revealing its essence (especially effective if it is possible not only to name the trick used “by name”, but also to explain in detail to others its purpose and features of application in a given situation);

a repeated reminder of the inadmissibility of using tricks;

“informational dialogue” (if a communication partner emotionally demands something or accuses him of something, you need to find out as accurately and in detail as possible everything that is happening to him, without entering into arguments or explanations). If your partner changes the pressure, causing you to resist, you need to firmly hold on to the position of a person who wants to find out the other’s opinion. The ability to pose a question that requires a meaningful and detailed answer also activates one’s own intellectual efforts;

“constructive criticism” (when a partner uses manipulative techniques, constructive criticism allows you to bring the conversation to the level of open intellectual struggle; this allows you to protect yourself from manipulation and remain ethical towards your interlocutor);

“civilized confrontation” (when all methods have been used unsuccessfully, you should firmly make it clear to your partner that communication in this way does not seem constructive to you, and if he insists on his own, you are ready to interrupt communication).

“trick for trick” (this method of neutralization can be used when all the previous ones have not given a positive result).

    Conclusion.

The purpose of this work was to examine the topic of “manipulation in communication.” To achieve this goal, I considered the following questions:

1. Characteristics of manipulations in communication.

Thus, I concluded that manipulation and manipulation of content is a form social management, in which the own goals and interests of the control object are ignored;

2. Reasons for manipulation.

Thus, I concluded that obviously manipulations are caused by different reasons. Among them is the need to mobilize groups of the population and individuals to achieve their greater activity, and therefore, effectiveness in achieving their goals. Without certain properties of the human psyche, manipulation would be impossible. But we should not forget that manipulation is used both for good and for harm. In this case, they fulfill the task of elevating some at the expense of others, and contribute to the differentiation of society into those who govern and those who are governed.

3. Rules for neutralizing manipulation.

Thus, I came to the conclusion that, firstly, the number of influences on us is so great that it is impossible to even think about the tension the recipient must be in in order to control and analyze all of his own states, shifts in his partner’s behavior and situations. Secondly, often the recipient perceives manipulation only on a subconscious level, without even realizing the fact of its presence.

List of used literature:

    A. Ya. Kibanov, Textbook. - M.: Infra-M, 2002.

Ethics of business relations.

    F. Kuzin, practical guide, 1996

Business communication culture.

3. I.V. Andreeva, textbook; 2006

Ethics of business relations.

4. V.N. Lavrinenko, textbook for university students; 2007

Psychology and ethics of business communication.