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Coercive persuasion refers to social influences capable of producing substantial behavior and attitude change through the use of coercive tactics and persuasion, via interpersonal and group-based influences. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Brainwashing or thought reform is the application of coercive techniques to change the beliefs or behavior of one or more people for political purposes. ... Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to act by employing threat of force. ... Persuasion is a form of influence. ...

The term was coined by Edgar Schein^[1] in 1961 in relation to his study of Chinese POWs 'indoctrination. According to Schein, the essence of coercive persuasion, ..., is to produce ideological and behavioral changes in a fully conscious, mentally intact individual. Schein notes that elements of coercive persuasion exist in many areas of human endeavor such as college fraternities, established religion, social rehabilitation programmes, the armed forces, and other conventional institutions. Schein also suggests that the popular image of brainwashing as entailing "extensive self-delusion and excessive [mental] distortion [...] is a false one." ^[2] Edgar H. Schein (born 1928), a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management has had a notable mark on the field of organizational development in many areas, including career development, group process consultation, and organizational culture. ...

Martyn Carruthers has the following definition: "Coercive persuasion attempts to force people to change beliefs, ideas, attitudes or behaviors using psychological pressure, undue influence, threats, anxiety, intimidation and/or stress. (Coercive persuasion has been called mind control and brainwashing.) ^[3]

Coercive persuasion is studied in managerial psychology, psychology of religion, epistemology, civil law, politics, diplomacy, and different aspects of sociology. Psychology of religion is psychologys theory of religious experiences and beliefs. ... Epistemology, from the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (word/speech) is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, origin and scope of knowledge. ... Civil law has at least three meanings. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Politics Look up Politics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Politics (disambiguation) Democracy History of democracy List of democracy and elections-related topics List of years in politics List of politics by country articles Progressivism Progressive Logic Political corruption Political economy Political movement... The United Nations, with its headquarters in New York City, is the largest international diplomatic organization. ... Social interactions of people and their consequences are the subject of sociology studies. ...

In academic fields, the terms coercive persuasion, coercive psychological systems or coercive influence are often used interchangeably.

Coercive persuasion is used as a deterrent in diplomacy and warfare, using a threat to use force, or a credible threat to escalate a crisis or war to a more dangerous level.^[4] Deterrence is the method manipulating a persons action by negative motivational influences. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ...

Some scholars such as Michael Langone or J.K. Ungerleider use the term coercive persuasion in the same sense as brainwashing, thought reform or mind control^{[5] [6]} and connect it to methods of cultic groups in acquiring and retaining members. This view is disputed by scholars such as James Gene^[7] and Bette Nove Evans ^[8], among others, while the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion^[9] stated in 1990 that there was not sufficient research to permit a consensus on the matter and that "one should not automatically equate the techniques involved in the process of physical coercion and control with those of nonphysical coercion and control". A similar statement was made by the APA in 1987 regarding the study called "Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control" (DIMPAC)).^[10]. See also Brainwashing controversies. Michael Langone, Ph. ... Brainwashing or thought reform is the application of coercive techniques to change the beliefs or behavior of one or more people for political purposes. ... Thought reform is the alteration of a persons basic attitudes and beliefs by outside manipulation. ... Mind control (or thought control) has the premise that an outside source can control an individuals thinking, behavior or consciousness (either directly or more subtly). ... APA may stand for: Administrative Procedure Act, an American statute controlling government agency actions. ... Brainwashing or thought reform is the application of coercive techniques to change the beliefs or behavior of one or more people for political purposes. ...

In the cases of Molko vs. Holy Spirit Association and Wollersheim vs. Church of Scientology, coercive persuasion was connected by the plaintiffs to the legal concept of undue influence^[11][12]. Undue influence (as a term in jurisprudence) is an equitable doctrine that involves one person taking advantage of a position of power over another person. ...

Tactics mentioned in describing coercive persuasion can include everyday methods like hard sale tactics or environmental control like described by Robert Lifton. Mind control (or thought control) has the premise that an outside source can control an individuals thinking, behavior or consciousness (either directly or more subtly). ...

References

1. ^  Schein, Edgar, Coercive Persuation: A socio-psychological analysis of the "brainwashing" of American civilian prisoners by the Chinese Communists (1961), W. W. Norton (publishers), (1971 edition ISBN 0393006131)
2. ^  Schein, Edgar, Brainwashing and Totalitarianization in Modern Society (1959)
3. ^  Carruthers, Martyn, Prevent Coercive Persuasion & Mind Control (online) Retrieved November 2005
4. ^  Cimbala, Stephen The Politics of Warfare (2004) pp.144-5 , Penn State Press, ISBN 02-71025-921
5. ^  Langone, Michael, Cults Questions and Answers] (Online) Retrieved November 2005
6. ^  Ungerleider and Wellish, Coercive persuasion (brainwashing), religious cults, and deprogramming American Journal of Psychatry, 1979
7. ^  Gene G. James, Brainwashing: The Myth and the Actuality Fordham University Quarterly, Volume LXI, June 1986
8. ^  Novit Evas, Bette Interpreting the Free Exercise of Religion: The Constitution and American Pluralism, () pp.91-3, UNC Press, ISBN 0-80784-674-0

   "For legal purposes, the term coercive persuassion [as it pertains to the acquisition of religious beliefs] is both conceptually flawed as well as unworkable witin the limits of the First Ammendment"

9. ^  Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, council meeting on the 7th of November 1990 (Online)
10. ^  APA Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology, Memo re Final Report of DIMPAC Task Force, Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology, May 11, 1987 (online)
11. ^  Molko v. Holy Spirit Assn. (1988) 46 C3d 1092 (online)
12. ^  Document presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Wollersheim vs. Churchof Scientology How does mind control work?: A technical overview of mind control tactics (Online) Retrieved November 2005

Fordham University is a private, co-educational university located in New York City (three campuses: one in The Bronx (Rose Hill, the main campus), one in Manhattan (at Lincoln Center), and one all-female undergraduate school located at the Marymount campus in Tarrytown (Marymount College will be phased out in...

External links

• Academic References from Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change
• Bardin David J., Psychological coercion and human rights
• Carruthers, Martyn: Prevent Coercive Persuasion & Mind Control
• Fingarette, Herbert, Coercion, Coercive Persuasion, and the Law in Robbins, Shepherd, and McBride, (ed), Cults, Culture, and Law: Perspectives on New Religious Movements, Scholars Press, California 1985.
• Hunter, Edna: Coercive Persuasion: The Myth of Free Will
• Ofshe, Richard J. Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change Encyclopedia of Sociology Volume 1, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York
• Pierce, Richard, Real Secrets of Coercive Persuasion
• Schein, Edgar: Organizational Learning as Cognitive Re-definition: Coercive Persuasion Revisited]
• Singer, Margaret Coercive Persuasion and the Problems of Ex-Cult Members
• Singer, Margaret Coercive Mind Control Tactics
• Allegorical Example of Coercive Persuasion From Television's X-Files (30-second clip)