Bursten attempts an objective study of a form of behavior to which many people in the mental health professions give a pejorative connotation. He rightly points out that manipulative behavior may be seen throughout the entire range of psychopathological states. Most psychiatrists and psychoanalysts still consider manipulative behavior to be an interference with their therapeutic efforts, but have directed very little systematic study toward it.

Bursten begins by establishing a diagnostic definition of the concept, emphasizing four essential components. 1. There must be an initial conflict of goals between the manipulator and the other person. 2. The manipulator must have a conscious intention to carry