LANGUAGE AND MANIPULATION: EXPLORING GASLIGHTING VIA SPEECH ACT THEORY

Abstract

Gaslighting, a form of psychological manipulation wherein individuals or groups are led into doubting their perception, memory, or sanity, constitutes a complex discourse with profound pragmatic implications. However, it is seldom explored within the realm of linguistic research. The paper discusses pragmatic aspects of gaslighting from the standpoint of speech act theory proposed by Austin (1962) and Searle (1979). The empirical data comprise excerpts of conversations drawn from the adaptations of the 1938 play "Gas Light" by P. Hamilton, namely, "Gaslight" (1940) by T. Dickinson and "Gaslight" (1944) by G. Cukor.
The study has shown that verbal manipulation within gaslighting relies predominantly on assertive speech acts. Through empirical analysis, three types of assertives prevalent in gaslighting discourse have been identified: explicit assertives, where the encoded message aligns with the literal illocutionary act; covert assertives, where an assertive speech act is conveyed through a different illocutionary act; and inclusive assertives, which convey an encoded message within an assertive speech act through a different illocutionary act, such as a directive or a commissive. Furthermore, in gaslighting scenarios, assertive speech acts acquire a double direction of fit, a characteristic typically not associated with assertives.
The paper serves as a complementary resource to the existing knowledge on gaslighting, paving the way for further research into the linguistic pragmatics of the phenomenon in question.

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