Inappropriate marketing
The expectations and weaknesses manipulation scheme is one of the common psychological pressure techniques often used in business, psychological groups and other organisations to maintain control over participants. Such a scheme involves several steps in which the participant is gradually drawn into a system of expectations and dependencies. Here are the key aspects of this approach:
1. Identification of needs and weaknesses
At the initial stage, the manipulator (group leader, mentor, supervisor) seeks to find out the participant's personal needs, dreams, ambitions or problems. These may be financial insecurity, loneliness, a desire for recognition, or a spiritual quest. Leaders may use a variety of psychological questions, tests, or one-on-one conversations to identify these weaknesses.
This data is then applied to create a sense that the organisation or group can help the participant achieve their goals, whether it be financial success, emotional support, self-development or ‘spiritual enlightenment’.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
2. Creating high expectations
After identifying a participant's weaknesses and needs, he or she is offered something that promises to solve all of his or her problems. For example, investment circles may promise huge profits, while psychological or esoteric groups may promise spiritual awakening and life harmony.
Such promises are supported by stories of ‘success’ of other participants, and it is emphasised that the result depends only on invested effort and faith in the process. The person is led to believe that he or she only needs to be patient and follow the group's methodology.
3. Creating dependency based on weaknesses
By exploiting a participant's weaknesses, manipulators can create the perception that only they or a given group can fulfil these needs. For example, a person is given ‘special’ attention, support, companionship, and a sense of security that he or she lacks in everyday life.
A belief develops that without participating in the group, fulfilling its terms, or making a financial investment, it is impossible to achieve what is desired. This creates an emotional dependency in which the participant begins to feel that they cannot cope on their own.
4. Holding on to expectations and creating cycles
The main way to retain a participant is to play on their expectations. Often the person is given small ‘successes’ or temporary results, such as a return of small profits, praise for achievements, symbolic tokens of attention.
However, he does not receive serious results, because the manipulator prolongs the process by claiming that ‘real success’ will come in time, if only he continues to invest (time and financial costs) and to be patient. Conditions are created in which the expectation of results becomes cyclical, and the participant continues to invest without noticing that the process has no end.
5. Maintaining illusions through group and social pressure
To keep the participant in the scheme, the manipulator may create and maintain groups where participants share ‘successes’ and support each other to continue. Social pressure emerges where leaving the group is perceived as a personal defeat and the individual feels the need to ‘hang in there until the end.’
Group leaders use the beliefs that failure or disappointment are personal shortcomings of the participants and that only the ‘strongest’ and most ‘persistent’ will get the promised results. This belief encourages participants to invest even more time and resources for fear of looking ‘weak’ in the eyes of others.
Examples of situations where the expectations and weaknesses scheme is used
Investment or MLM projects: participants are promised high income, playing on their financial instability, suggesting that the only way to get rich is to ‘invest’ and attract new people.
Psychological and esoteric groups: people are promised personal or spiritual growth by exploiting their inner fears and loneliness, while they remain in the group waiting for some higher experience or insight, for which they have to constantly pay.
Self-development trainings and courses: participants are led to believe that only regular attendance and investment will help them become successful, confident and in demand. People continue to attend in the hope of improvement that they cannot achieve.
How to protect yourself from such manipulations?
Ask specific questions:ask the manipulator for specific data and evidence of promised results, ask direct questions about methods and goals.
Analyse promises and actual results: assess whether expectations are true and what the group or organisation is contributing.
Evaluate the value of participation: periodically review exactly what you are getting from the group and whether there are real improvements or changes.
Identify signs of dependency: if your participation is more about guilt or obligation to the group than personal gain, this may be a signal of manipulation.
Seek external validation: talk to people outside the group to get an objective view of the situation
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