The present study aims to examine the psychological impact of gaslighting behavior on emotional manipulation and cognitive dissonance in intimate relationships. Gaslighting, a subtle form of emotional abuse, involves manipulation that causes victims to question their perceptions, emotions, and memories. A sample of 80 individuals who had experienced close romantic relationships was selected through purposive sampling. Three tools were used: the Gaslighting Behavior Inventory (GBI), the Emotional Manipulation Scale (EMS), and the Cognitive Dissonance Scale (CDS). Based on GBI scores, participants were categorized into high and low gaslighting behavior groups. Independent samples t-tests were applied to analyze the data. Results revealed that individuals with high gaslighting behavior scored significantly higher in emotional manipulation (M = 41.05) and cognitive dissonance (M = 35.30) compared to those with low gaslighting behavior (M = 33.75 and M = 28.40, respectively). The findings were statistically significant at the 0.01 level. The study concludes that gaslighting is strongly associated with increased emotional manipulation and psychological discomfort in intimate relationships.
Abhishek Kabiraj (Thu,) studied this question.