Gaslighting

What is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is psychological manipulation that undermines a person's trust in their own memory, perception, or judgment. It can involve repeated denial, distortion, or attacks on credibility within a relationship of control.

Someone might repeatedly deny conversations that took place, distort events, and insist that the other person is too confused or unstable to know what happened. The attack is on the person's ability to trust their own understanding of reality.

Paige Sweet’s 2019 study of gaslighting examines how this manipulation operates in domestic violence, including how unequal power and social stereotypes can be used to undermine a person's credibility.

Where the Term Comes From

The term comes from the 1938 play Gas Light, in which a husband manipulates his wife into doubting her sanity.

Gaslighting or Disagreement?

Not every disagreement is gaslighting. People misremember events, misunderstand each other, and give conflicting accounts. A single dispute does not establish a pattern of manipulation. The relationship, the repeated behavior, and the use of control matter.