General Exploitation Theory (GET)

Exploitation is a pervasive yet under-theorized phenomenon shaping interactions from intimate relationships to global institutions. Existing approaches typically examine narrow domains—manipulation in interpersonal contexts, cheating in economic games, or corruption in political systems—without an integrative account. The General Exploitation Theory (GET) addresses this gap by conceptualizing exploitation as a continuum, ranging from benign utilization of opportunities to abusive appropriation that imposes disproportionate costs on others or the environment. This continuum-based approach aligns with dimensional models in psychology and the behavioral sciences. GET advances a bio-psycho-social model in which exploitation emerges through the interplay of evolved biological mechanisms, intrapsychic processes, interpersonal strategies, and societal structures. Reward circuits, hormonal modulation, and cognitive biases may bias individuals toward short-term opportunism; emotions and motivational drives such as envy, greed, and status striving provide proximate energy for exploitative behavior; interpersonal dynamics translate these tendencies into deception, coercion, and betrayal; and societal and institutional arrangements embed exploitation at scale through hierarchies, inequalities, and legitimizing ideologies. Evolutionary theory clarifies its resilience, framing exploitation as a conditional strategy that can yield reproductive or material benefits despite long-term costs. By synthesizing insights across disciplines, GET offers a comprehensive framework for understanding exploitation as an adaptive, multi-level process. This perspective not only explains its persistence but also provides a roadmap for systematic research on mechanisms, variability, and consequences. In doing so, GET positions exploitation as a central construct for the behavioral sciences and a consequential dimension of human nature across levels and contexts and over time worldwide.