Manipulatsioon

Manipulatsioon, or manipulation, is the act of influencing or controlling a person, situation, or object through deliberate means. It can be overt or covert, and it often involves steering outcomes without full disclosure or consent. In general, manipulation contrasts with straightforward persuasion by emphasizing control or deceit rather than explicit agreement.

The term is applied across domains. In interpersonal contexts, manipulation denotes tactics designed to influence another’s thoughts or actions, often using emotional leverage, misdirection, or selective information. In engineering and robotics, a manipulator is a device or a robotic arm that physically handles and moves objects. In medicine, manual manipulation refers to hands-on techniques used by clinicians to diagnose, mobilize joints, or treat musculoskeletal conditions.

In data and information contexts, data manipulation means altering data, code, or records to achieve a preferred result, which raises reliability and integrity concerns in research, finance, and governance. In media and politics, manipulation describes shaping information, framing issues, or disseminating misinformation to influence public opinion or behavior.

Ethical considerations center on consent, transparency, and the distinction between influence and coercion. Preventing manipulation involves critical thinking, verification, and robust governance over data, communications, and automated systems. The term also appears in everyday language as a neutral descriptor for any act of handling or operation that changes a thing’s state, such as manual manipulation of tools and materials.