Public perceptions of “negging”: lowering women’s self-esteem to increase the male’s attractiveness and achieve sexual conquest

Abstract

Purpose “Negging” can be described as the purposeful lowering of a woman’s self-esteem to increase perceived attractiveness of the man in order to achieve sexual conquest. Negging has evolved over time. Whilst “original” negging was intended to be a harmless tool for attracting women, more recently dating companies have been teaching men “evolved” negging in a potentially damaging way, which could escalate into an abusive intimate relationship. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach An online survey involving vignettes depicting negging between strangers with three conditions: “original”, “evolved”, and “control” was completed by 308 participants. Participants were asked how harmful, acceptable, and how likely to escalate each scenario was. A fourth vignette described “evolved” negging between partners. Findings Mixed methods analysis of variance indicated that participants perceived all negging as being significantly more harmful than control “pick-up” lines. “Evolved” negging was considered to be more likely to escalate in seriousness than “original” negging. Research limitations/implications Despite the public viewing negging as harmful and with the potential to escalate in seriousness, women are still being targeted in this manner and the industry “teaching” negging is growing despite controversy. This study aims to increase general awareness of negging in order to minimise harm caused to women who are “picked-up” through this technique. To this end, directions for future research are highlighted. Originality/value This paper is one of the first empirical studies in the area of negging. The perceived, and potential, harm caused can be studied in light of these novel findings with the aim of protecting women from harm.

Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Physicians

“…Defining acts Sexual abuse 16,[24][25][26] Coerced unwanted sexual acts Raped Physical abuse [27][28][29] Slapped, pinched, or shoved Hurt in a way that left bruises or other marks One or more of your bones were fractured or broken You had to be hospitalized for injuries Your partner hurt you when you were pregnant Controlling behavior [30][31][32] You were physically restrained You were prevented from going where you wanted, when you wanted Your partner required you to inform him/her of your whereabouts many times per day Psychological abuse 16,33,34 Your partner broke or destroyed your personal belongings You were insulted or called derogatory names Your partner falsely accused you of infidelity Undermined your authority as a parent Your partner threatened or intimidated you Violent behavior [35][36][37] Your partner harmed your pets Threatened to harm your children or family Your partner used a weapon against you Stalking 24 Your partner followed you Other [38][39][40][41][42] Your partner used your money or credit cards, or made you pay for things they wanted against your will You were denied access to your money or other assets Undermined or threatened to undermine your career or professional standing You were denied access to your immigration papers (green card, etc.) the enter method, all variables are included in the model.…”

Entertainment media as a source of relationship misinformation

“…Although it may be factually correct that negging can temporarily inspire someone's interest [33], the message is misleading in that it could result in the inaccurate conclusion that negging is a healthy flirting tactic. Indeed, strategies like negging are problematic and have the potential to escalate into more insidious behaviors like emotional abuse [31]. Depictions of negging on reality television and other forms of entertainment media, such as romantic comedies (e.g., The Ugly Truth), could make the strategy seem common or even desirable when initiating a relationship.…”