Recognizing and Addressing Gaslighting in Love and Relationships

Abstract

The study focuses on the phenomenon of gaslighting – a manipulative tactic where the person makes the other feel uncertain about self-judgement and opinion. The existing literature about gaslighting phenomenon in romantic relationships in the Indian context is fewer to none. Thus, the idea of this study is to contribute to investigate the gaslighting effect in romantic relationships. The sample includes 25 female participants of the age group 18-24 years. The phenomenon of gaslighting is assessed using a semi-structured interview method. The recorded interview has been transcribed and the themes, sub-themes and narratives were derived from it. A thematic analysis of qualitative data is used for obtaining the results. The results revealed that the phenomenon of gaslighting is prominently seen in the Indian context as well, although there are many cases which depicts the positive as well as the negative aspects of their relationship.