Michael D. Langone (born 1947) is an American counseling psychologist who specializes in research about cultic groups and psychological manipulation.
[1] Langone received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1979, where he was a Regents Fellow for three years, and he began his work in cults in 1978.
[4]: x Langone defines a cult as "a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing, and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control designed to advance the goals of the group’s leader, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community".
"[8] The former American Family Foundation, headed by Langone, is described as offering the most public support for the mind-control theory through its Cultic Studies Journal.
[9] The theory is seen by researchers as a propaganda device used by the anti-cult movement to rationalize the persecution of minority religious groups.