Minimisation or minimization is a type of deception[1] involving denial coupled with rationalisation/rationalization in situations where complete denial is implausible. It is the opposite of exaggeration. Minimisation, or downplaying the significance of an event or emotion, is a common strategy in dealing with feelings of guilt.[2] Words associated with minimisation include:
Minimisation may take the form of a manipulative technique:
observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay their misdemeanors when confronted with irrefutable facts.[3][4]
observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay positive attributes (talents and skills etc.) of their victims.[5]
Typical psychological defences exhibited by stalkers and guilty criminal suspects include denial, rationalisation, minimisation and projection of blame onto the victim.[6]
A variation on minimisation as a manipulative technique is "claiming altruistic motives" such as saying "I don't do this because I am selfish, and for gain, but because I am a socially aware person interested in the common good".[7]
a customer receiving a response to a complaint to a company for poor service being told that complaints like his from other customers were very rare when in fact they are common
A father who is confronted with a memory of abuse of his own child decades before, and responds with, "I had it worse."
suggesting that there are just a few bad apples or rogues in an organisation when in reality problems are widespread and systemic
Your boss may redirect you instead of rejecting you in a subtle way (with or without factual evidence)
School bullying sometimes minimised as a prankedit
School bullying is one form of victimisation or physical abuse which has sometimes been unofficially encouraged, ritualised or even minimised as a sort of prank by teachers or peers. The main difference between pranks and bullying is establishment of power inequity between the bully and the victim that lasts beyond the duration of the act.[8]
Understatement is a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected. Understatement is a staple of humour in English-speaking cultures, especially in British humour. In this humorous form, the understatement is expected to not be interpreted literally.
Related but separate is euphemism, where a polite phrase is used in place of a harsher or more offensive expression.[9]
Self-esteem/depressionedit
Redefining events to downplay their significance can be an effective way of preserving one's self-esteem.[10] One of the problems of depression (found in those with clinical, bipolar, and chronic depressive mood disorders, as well as cyclothymia) is the tendency to do the reverse: minimising the positive, discounting praise,[11] and dismissing one's own accomplishments.[12] On the other hand, one technique used by Alfred Adler to combat neurosis was to minimise the excessive significance the neurotic attaches to his own symptoms[13]—the narcissistic gains derived from pride in one's own illness.[14]
Social minimisationedit
Display rules expressing a group's general consensus about the display of feeling often involve minimising the amount of emotion one displays, as with a poker face.[15] Social interchanges involving minor infringements often end with the 'victim' minimising the offence with a comment like 'Think nothing of it',[16] using so-called 'reduction words',[17] such as 'no big deal,' 'only a little,' 'merely,' or 'just', the latter particularly useful in denying intent.[18] On a wider scale, renaming things in a more benign or neutral form—'collateral damage' for death—is a form of minimisation.
^Guerrero, L., Anderson, P., Afifi, W. (2007). Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications. ISBN978-1412949538
^Robert Hoyk/Paul Hersey, The Ethical Executive (2008) p. 68
^Simon, George K. In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People (1996)[ISBN missing][page needed]
^Minimization: Trivializing Behavior as a Manipulation Tactic
^Kantor, Martin The Psychopathy of Everyday Life 2006 [ISBN missing]
^Goldsmid, S.; Howie, P. (2014). "Bullying by definition: An examination of definitional components of bullying". Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 19 (2): 210–225. doi:10.1080/13632752.2013.844414. S2CID 145146347.
Henning, K & Holdford, R Minimization, Denial, and Victim Blaming by Batterers Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 33, No. 1, 110–130 (2006)
Rogers, Richard & Dickey, Rob (March 1991) Denial and minimization among sex offenders Journal Sexual Abuse Vol 4, No 1: 49–63
Scott K Denial, Minimization, Partner Blaming, and Intimate Aggression in Dating Partners Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 22, No. 7, 851–871 (2007)
April 13, 2024
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For other uses see Minimisation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Minimisation psychology news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message Minimisation or minimization is a type of deception 1 involving denial coupled with rationalisation rationalization in situations where complete denial is implausible It is the opposite of exaggeration Minimisation or downplaying the significance of an event or emotion is a common strategy in dealing with feelings of guilt 2 Words associated with minimisation include belittling derailing devaluing discounting dismissing downplaying euphemism invalidation making light of meiosis minification minimise trivialising underplaying understating Contents 1 Manipulative abuse 2 Cognitive distortion 2 1 Examples 3 School bullying sometimes minimised as a prank 4 Understatements 5 Self esteem depression 6 Social minimisation 7 Literary analogues 8 See also 9 References 10 Further readingManipulative abuse editSee also Gaslighting Minimisation may take the form of a manipulative technique observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay their misdemeanors when confronted with irrefutable facts 3 4 observed in abusers and manipulators to downplay positive attributes talents and skills etc of their victims 5 Typical psychological defences exhibited by stalkers and guilty criminal suspects include denial rationalisation minimisation and projection of blame onto the victim 6 A variation on minimisation as a manipulative technique is claiming altruistic motives such as saying I don t do this because I am selfish and for gain but because I am a socially aware person interested in the common good 7 Cognitive distortion editMinimisation may also take the form of cognitive distortion that avoids acknowledging and dealing with negative emotions by reducing the importance and impact of events that give rise to those emotions that avoids conscious confrontation with the negative impacts of one s behavior on others by reducing the perception of such impacts that avoids interpersonal confrontation by reducing the perception of the impact of others behavior on oneself Examples edit saying that a taunt or insult was only a joke a customer receiving a response to a complaint to a company for poor service being told that complaints like his from other customers were very rare when in fact they are common A father who is confronted with a memory of abuse of his own child decades before and responds with I had it worse suggesting that there are just a few bad apples or rogues in an organisation when in reality problems are widespread and systemic Your boss may redirect you instead of rejecting you in a subtle way with or without factual evidence School bullying sometimes minimised as a prank editSchool bullying is one form of victimisation or physical abuse which has sometimes been unofficially encouraged ritualised or even minimised as a sort of prank by teachers or peers The main difference between pranks and bullying is establishment of power inequity between the bully and the victim that lasts beyond the duration of the act 8 Understatements editMain article Understatement Understatement is a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected Understatement is a staple of humour in English speaking cultures especially in British humour In this humorous form the understatement is expected to not be interpreted literally Related but separate is euphemism where a polite phrase is used in place of a harsher or more offensive expression 9 Self esteem depression editRedefining events to downplay their significance can be an effective way of preserving one s self esteem 10 One of the problems of depression found in those with clinical bipolar and chronic depressive mood disorders as well as cyclothymia is the tendency to do the reverse minimising the positive discounting praise 11 and dismissing one s own accomplishments 12 On the other hand one technique used by Alfred Adler to combat neurosis was to minimise the excessive significance the neurotic attaches to his own symptoms 13 the narcissistic gains derived from pride in one s own illness 14 Social minimisation editDisplay rules expressing a group s general consensus about the display of feeling often involve minimising the amount of emotion one displays as with a poker face 15 Social interchanges involving minor infringements often end with the victim minimising the offence with a comment like Think nothing of it 16 using so called reduction words 17 such as no big deal only a little merely or just the latter particularly useful in denying intent 18 On a wider scale renaming things in a more benign or neutral form collateral damage for death is a form of minimisation Literary analogues editA scene in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail involving the Black Knight character demonstrates an absurd level of minimisation For example the knight s response to his having his left arm severed is It s just a flesh wound Compare with the Monty Python Dirty Fork sketch which is the opposite extreme of absurdity catastrophisation See also editDeadpan Discrediting tactic Half truth Limited hangout Mind games Mitigating factor Relational transgressions Reverse psychology Rhetoric Spin Stiff upper lipReferences edit Guerrero L Anderson P Afifi W 2007 Close Encounters Communication in Relationships 2nd ed Los Angeles Sage Publications ISBN 978 1412949538 Robert Hoyk Paul Hersey The Ethical Executive 2008 p 68 Simon George K In Sheep s Clothing Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People 1996 ISBN missing page needed Minimization Trivializing Behavior as a Manipulation Tactic Discounting Minimizing and Trivializing Abby Stein Prologue to Violence 2006 p 6 Kantor Martin The Psychopathy of Everyday Life 2006 ISBN missing Goldsmid S Howie P 2014 Bullying by definition An examination of definitional components of bullying Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 19 2 210 225 doi 10 1080 13632752 2013 844414 S2CID 145146347 Euphemism Webster s Online Dictionary E R Smith D M Mackie Social Psychology Hove 2007 pp 136 139 Paul Gilbert Overcoming Depression London 1999 pp 63 98 Jacqui Lee Schiff Cathexis Reader New York 1975 pp 84 85 Alfred Adler Superiority and Social Interest 1964 p 192 Otto Fenichel The Psychoanalytic Theory of Neurosis London 1946 p 462 Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence London 1995 p 113 Erving Goffman Relations in Public 1972 p 177 Robert Hoyk Paul Hersey The Ethical Executive 2008 pp 68 69 N Symington Narcissism 1990 p 116Further reading editHenning K amp Holdford R Minimization Denial and Victim Blaming by Batterers Criminal Justice and Behavior Vol 33 No 1 110 130 2006 Rogers Richard amp Dickey Rob March 1991 Denial and minimization among sex offenders Journal Sexual Abuse Vol 4 No 1 49 63 Scott K Denial Minimization Partner Blaming and Intimate Aggression in Dating Partners Journal of Interpersonal Violence Vol 22 No 7 851 871 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Minimisation psychology amp oldid 1190397918, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
