The set of methods of manipulative influence can be reduced to several groups: 1) purposeful transformation of information; 2) hiding the impact; 3) means of coercion; 4) targets of impact; 5) robotization.
1. Purposeful transformation of information
The whole variety of information handling techniques can be grouped according to the following parameters:
- distortion of information - from outright lies to falsification of facts;
- concealment of information - concealment / concealment of certain topics, partial / selective presentation of material;
- way of presenting information - an abundance of information in a raw and / or unsystematic form (complicates the search for meaning), small portions of information (do not allow you to use it effectively), a special arrangement of topics (leads to unambiguous conclusions);
- the moment of submission of information - showing at the most convenient / inconvenient time for TV viewers, using a certain order in raising questions to a vote or in discussing agenda items;
Promotional video:
- subliminal presentation of information - changing the musical theme in the soundtrack at the moment when it is necessary to draw the attention of the audience to certain words of the speaker.
2. Concealment of impact
The desire to keep the fact of manipulation a secret contributed to the emergence of visual and auditory subthreshold effects. The presence of such an impact can be detected only with the help of special equipment. In the case when the manipulator unconsciously hides the fact of influence, he can be excused, but at the same time it should be remembered that the naive variant of influence looks more natural and acts stronger.
3. Means of coercion
Various authors include the use of force / power or covert / explicit coercion, the creation of a situation of irresistibility of force pressure, the manifestation of a strong or weak position. For example, a weak position is characteristic of the boss who uses "position superiority" and for the subordinate who enters into open confrontation with respect to the boss.
4. Targets of impact
Under the term “target of impact” E. L. Dotsenko (2003) understands those mental structures that are influenced by the initiator of the impact, regardless of whether he had such an intention or not.
The target of psychological influence, according to different authors, is the base drives and aggressive aspirations of a person. For example, sex, a sense of ownership, hostility towards those who are not like us / him, instability in the face of the temptations of power, money, fame, luxury, etc. In this case, manipulators prefer to exploit basic needs for food, security, a sense of community, etc. To influence a large audience, the manipulator chooses such universal targets as pride, the desire for pleasure, comfort, family coziness, the need for fame, for promotion, etc., and when influencing a small audience, precisely selected, specialized targets.
The “advanced” method of manipulation includes the preliminary production of opinions and desires, their consolidation in the mass consciousness or ideas of a particular person, followed by appeal to them. For example, creating a myth about a caring president, respectability of the company, convincing a partner that they want to help him, that he is in danger, etc.
5. Robotization
Robotism, according to some authors, is manifested in the fact that objects of manipulative processing turn into puppets. Their actions are programmed by the media, organization, communication partners, etc. In this case, the manipulative influence is directed not only to the creation of stereotypes of behavior, but also to unify the ways of thinking, assessing, reacting among whole nations. Such programming is typical for all types of social structure, it is perceived as the law of human coexistence, but it leads to deindividualization and depersonification of people, to their transformation into robotic objects of manipulation.