Over the years working in Forensics, I’ve noticed something striking: the tactics used by actors uses similar psychological manipulation tactics to compromise people. Whether it’s a cult recruiting members, an extremist group radicalizing individuals online, or an abusive relationship trapping someone through coercive control is that the playbook is remarkably similar.
This realization led me to develop the Psychological Attack Matrix, inspired by MITRE ATT&CK’s framework for mapping cyber adversary tactics and techniques.
The Concept
MITRE ATT&CK revolutionized cybersecurity by creating a standardized framework to understand and communicate about adversary behavior. It maps tactics (the “why”) and techniques (the “how”) across the attack lifecycle—from initial access to exfiltration. Security professionals worldwide use it to assess threats, design defenses, and share intelligence.
The Psychological Attack Matrix applies this same approach to psychological manipulation and social engineering—but at a human psychological level rather than technical. It maps the tactics and techniques used across various contexts:
- Cult recruitment and thought reform
- Online radicalization (incels, extremist groups, conspiracy communities)
- Abusive relationships and domestic violence
- Toxic workplace manipulation
- Coercive control and emotional abuse
- Multi-level marketing schemes
- High-control groups and organizations
Why This Matters
Just as cybersecurity professionals need a common language to discuss attack patterns, mental health professionals, educators, law enforcement, and support organizations need a framework to identify and communicate about psychological manipulation patterns.
The matrix reveals something crucial: the same fundamental techniques appear across different contexts. Love bombing works the same whether it’s a cult, or an abusive partner. Understanding these universal patterns helps us:
- Recognize manipulation earlier - Spot warning signs across contexts
- Communicate more effectively - Standardized terminology for discussing tactics
- Develop better interventions - Learn from what works in one domain and apply it to others
- Educate proactively - Teach people to recognize manipulation before they encounter it
The Structure
The matrix uses an 10-tactic framework mapping the lifecycle of psychological manipulation:
- Vulnerability Exploitation - Identifying and targeting susceptible individuals
- Initial Contact - First engagement methods (algorithms, charismatic leaders, peer recruitment)
- Engagement & Love Bombing - Creating emotional dependency and instant belonging
- Indoctrination - Installing rigid belief systems (us vs them, dehumanization, conspiracy thinking)
- Information Control - Filtering reality through echo chambers and milieu control
- Thought Control - Thought-stopping clichés, loaded language, sacred science
- Behavioral Control - Social pressure, incremental escalation, guilt and shame
- Isolation - Cutting ties with family, friends, and alternative perspectives
- Deep Radicalization - Identity fusion and moral disengagement
- Action - Actions taken (recruitment, propaganda, in extremist contexts: violence)
Each tactic contains specific techniques with IDs (T001, T002, etc.), descriptions, and examples showing how they manifest across different contexts.
Academic Foundation
This framework synthesizes research from multiple established models:
- Robert Jay Lifton’s Eight Criteria for Thought Reform (1961)
- Steven Hassan’s BITE Model (Behavior, Information, Thought, Emotional control)
- McCauley & Moskalenko’s Pyramid of Radicalization
- Evan Stark’s research on coercive control in domestic abuse
- Research on algorithmic radicalization and online extremism
- Studies on gaslighting and psychological manipulation
Current State: Very Much a Work in Progress
Let me be transparent: ** Is still very much a work in progress, and is in early development**. While the framework structure is solid and grounded in established research, significant work remains.
How You Can Help
If you work in mental health, cult recovery, domestic violence support, extremism research, or related fields:
- Provide feedback - Are the techniques accurately described? What’s missing?
- Share examples - Real-world cases (appropriately anonymized) help illustrate concepts
- Suggest refinements - How can the framework better serve your field?
- Contribute research - Academic papers or studies that should inform the matrix
The Vision
Ultimately, I envision this becoming a widely-used framework similar to how MITRE ATT&CK serves cybersecurity—a common language for understanding, communicating about, and defending against psychological manipulation. Different organizations could develop their own “mappings” showing how specific groups or tactics align with the framework, just as security vendors map threat actors to ATT&CK.
Educational institutions could use it to teach media literacy and critical thinking. Support organizations could use it to help victims identify what happened to them. Law enforcement could use it to understand recruitment patterns. Researchers could use it to compare manipulation tactics across contexts.
But that vision requires collaboration, refinement, and—honestly—a lot more work.
Getting Started
Visit the Psychological Attack Matrix to explore the current version. Click any technique to see available details. Remember: this is early-stage work, and your feedback is crucial to making it better.
A Note on Responsible Use
This framework is designed for defensive purposes—education, awareness, prevention, and recovery. It documents tactics that cause real harm to real people. The goal is to help potential victims recognize manipulation, support current victims in understanding their situation, and aid recovery.
If you’re using this framework for research or educational purposes, please do so responsibly and ethically.
Final Thoughts
Building a comprehensive framework for understanding psychological manipulation is ambitious. It requires expertise from multiple disciplines, validation across contexts, and ongoing refinement based on evolving tactics.
But if cybersecurity can map the technical attack surface, we can map the psychological one too.
The techniques are out there. The patterns are consistent. The harm is real.
Let’s document them, understand them, and ultimately, help people defend against them.
This is a living project. Check back for updates, or contribute to make it better. Your expertise matters.
Explore the matrix: Psychological Attack Matrix
References and academic sources: Available on the matrix page