2025/08/05 by Lillian Darke, Helen M. Paterson, Celine van Golde · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Intimate Partner and Family Violence #Crime, Deviance, and Social Control #Gender, Feminism, and Media
paper · doi:10.1177/02654075251366643
openalex publication_date 2025/08/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/13
Gaslighting is a covert form of psychological manipulation that undermines an individual’s confidence in their perceptions, thoughts, and memories, often by labelling them as irrational or ‘crazy.’ Public awareness of gaslighting has surged in recent years, making it a common topic in media and popular culture. However, empirical research has lagged behind, leaving gaps in understanding how the public perceives and defines this form of abuse. Addressing public understanding of covert abuse is critical for improving early recognition by victims, bystanders, and front-line services, as well as encouraging support-seeking behaviours. This study examined public perceptions of gaslighting by presenting 595 university students with vignettes manipulating key contested components: repetition, intention, and victim outcomes. Participants assessed the vignettes on seriousness, acceptability, likelihood of intervention, and whether they classified the behaviour as gaslighting. They also provided definitions of gaslighting and completed a gaslighting acceptance scale. Findings indicate that while students generally recognise gaslighting as emotional abuse, ambiguities remain in its definition and identification. These results underscore the need for educational campaigns to clarify gaslighting’s patterns and severity. Targeted initiatives, particularly in schools and community settings, could foster cultural change, enhance bystander intervention, and reduce the prevalence of covert abusive behaviours.