RESEARCH_FILE
Paige L. Sweet
University of Michigan
Known for:Sociological theory reframing gaslighting as a structural, power-based process rather than an individual manipulation tactic
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“Maybe I misremembered it”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I may be doubting this because it got pushed back on, not because it never happened.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open a note or paper and write five concrete details from the incident: date or day, place, exact phrase you remember, who was present, and what felt off. Save it without rewriting.
Key findings
- 2019
Argued gaslighting is a structural process built on gendered and institutional power, not simply an individual manipulator's tactic — whoever controls credibility controls what counts as 'reality.' The Sociology of Gaslighting ↗
- 2019
Based on interviews with survivors, found that gaslighting worked less through individual psychological tricks and more through abusers leveraging institutions — courts, doctors, employers — structurally predisposed to believe them over the person they targeted. The Sociology of Gaslighting ↗