A Historical Review of Gaslighting: Tracing Changing Conceptualizations Within Psychiatry and Psychology

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that causes a victim to doubt their sense of reality, usually leading to a loss of agency (i.e., confidence and sense of self) and emotional and mental instability. The phenomenon was first identified over 50 years ago and discourse on the topic was largely confined to psychiatry/medicine; however, interest in gaslighting has experienced a resurgence with expansion both in terms of the contexts in which gaslighting is thought to occur as well as disciplines weighing in on the topic. Indeed, Merriam-Webster chose ‘gaslighting’ as its word of the year in 2022. The aim of this article is to offer a historical review of work on gaslighting that tracks how the term has evolved and to identify core features of the phenomena. In doing so we identify points of consensus and tension in the literature. We conclude by making specific recommendations for the future of scholarship on gaslighting.