Dealing With Coercion

Coercion is often defined as the act of changing a person’s behaviour, even when they don’t wish to do so. How do we use coercive methods on a day to day basis? How many times have you coerced your children into doing something like finishing their dinner, or playing nicely? Have you ever coerced a friend into doing something for you? Watch the news and you might see countries coercing their people into behaving in a certain way.

So how does it work? Most coercive methods are based on threats and/or bribery. Both methods use a form of extrinsic motivation which says “if you do this, then you will get that”. Threats may involve physical or psychological attack on the individual being coerced, or the removal of access to a certain desired resource(s).

Why do we sometimes allow ourselves to be coerced? In some cases there may be a reward involved for behaving in a certain way, but in most cases the threats or bribery will involve implied damage to our social status. We will often allow ourselves to be coerced rather than risk rejection from a social group, or face public embarrassment. Being part of a social group, or having a good social standing, is instinctively seen as imperative to our survival. In the early days of the human race it certainly would have been.

So how can we defend ourselves against coercion? There are four basic types of defense:

Stonewall: Say, and continue to say, “no” during the attempted coercion.

Identity separation: Refuse on the basis that it goes against your principles and values – your moral code.

Justification: Outline what you believe will be the negative effect of complying, and then say you won’t comply.

Negotiation: Make counter offers that allow both parties to achieve their goal(s).