[4] Barring mental disabilities, humans are inherently capable of manipulative and deceptive behavior, with the main differences being of specific personality characteristics or disorders.
[22][23] The MACH-IV, conceptualized by Richard Christie and Florence Geis, is a popular and widely used psychological measure of manipulative and deceptive behavior.
[12][28] Discussion of manipulation may vary depending on which behavior is specifically included, and whether one is referring to the general population or in clinical contexts.
This runs the gamut of deception, from lying and superficial displays of charisma to frequent use of aliases and disguises, and criminal fraudulence.
[30] 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.
[33] Factitious disorder is a mental illness in which individuals purposely fake having symptoms of some condition, physically or psychologically.
Fabricating illnesses allows individuals to feel a thrill[34] and receive free aid in hospital admissions and treatment.
Feelings of persistence, abuse in early childhood, and excessive thoughts were common for these individuals who connected to Borderline Personality Disorder.
Under the ICD-11's dimensional model of personality pathology, deceitful, manipulative and exploitative behaviors are cardinal expressions of the lack of empathy domain of the Dissociality trait.
[40][41] Another tactic is love-bombing, where manipulators may escalate affection at an unreasonable rate in an attempt to better control their victim through forming trust.
[44] Building self-esteem involves practicing self-compassion during challenging times and using positive affirmations to boost confidence.
Learning about manipulation involves studying related methodologies and participating in educational workshops to develop protective skills.