# Appendix C: Alignment Mapping to DARVO, Gaslighting, and Manipulation Techniques This appendix maps the **Recursive Linguistic Forensics** methodology to established psychological manipulation frameworks. It demonstrates how the **recursive collapse of coherence** often parallels the structural dynamics of abuse and deception. --- ## Mapping Table: Recursive Patterns → Manipulative Techniques | Recursive Pattern | Manipulation Technique | Description | |-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------| | **Narrative Overcontrol** | Gaslighting | Overdefined, rehearsed stories pressure the listener into doubting inconsistencies that should be obvious. | | **Denial Looping** | DARVO (Deny) | Repetitive use of “I never” or “always” to suppress ambiguity and preempt questioning. | | **Claimant Displacement** | DARVO (Reverse Victim/Offender) | Shifting blame or agency onto external forces to obscure personal accountability. | | **Temporal Drift** | Reality Distortion | Manipulation of timelines to create confusion, plausible deniability, or false narratives. | | **Empathic Bypass** | Emotional Negation | Suppression or redirection of affect to bypass expected emotional responses. | | **Overjustification** | Justification Spiral | Excessive detail and reasoning used to camouflage falsehoods or manipulate plausibility. | | **Fractured Resonance** | Coherence Collapse | Speech lacks internal harmony; rhythm and tone contradict content, revealing deeper incongruence. | --- ## Notes on Use This mapping allows analysts and adjusters to: - Recognize when a claim narrative echoes **abusive communication patterns** - Avoid retraumatizing genuine victims misflagged by behavioral AI - Support trauma-informed verification practices --- > *"To detect the lie is to hear what it silences. To witness deception is to feel the fracture it tries to hide."* This alignment underscores the **moral weight** of our framework. We are not just identifying fraud. We are **witnessing distortion** in its linguistic birth.