World Governments using psychology to manipulate; Introducing the Delphi Method

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Unfortunately, psychology, like any other tool, or field of study, can be misused to cause harm and over the last few years, we as a global community, have seen the misuse of psychological techniques to control and manipulate the way that we think. I say that we have seen, but unfortunately, there are many of us who have no idea that it is happening, and that is normal, because how it is done is tactful, sneaky, and if you are not aware, you have no idea that it is happening.

Last week, a report was put out by The Expose titled, “UK government uses Delphi method to manipulate outcome of public consultations,” and in this article they shared that until June 7^th, 2023, the Bank of England is inviting responses to a proposal for a retail central bank digital currency (“CBDC”) – a so-called “digital pound.”  According to the author of the article, the survey is rigged. The questions are designed so that the person taking the survey will agree with their basic premises – there are no options to object to the implementation of CBDCs. The final question proposed in the article is how should we respond when a survey has been rigged?

I was curious, what was the Delphi Method, and is it possible that this technique had been used on unsuspecting members of society before? The only way to get answers to these questions was to do a little more research and get a full understanding about what we were dealing with.

The Delphi method is a structured communication technique used to obtain and aggregate expert opinions in order to make informed decisions, or forecasts about a particular topic. It was developed in the 1950s by RAND Corporation as a way to forecast technological advancements.

The process typically involves a group of experts who are asked to answer a series of questionnaires, with each subsequent questionnaire building upon the responses from the previous one. In between questionnaires, the responses are summarized and shared with the group to help them refine their opinions. This iterative process continues until the group reaches a consensus or until the desired level of information is obtained.

The Delphi method is particularly useful when there is a lack of reliable data, or when the topic being studied is complex or uncertain. By aggregating the opinions of a diverse group of experts, the method can help identify trends and potential outcomes that may not have been apparent otherwise. It is commonly used in fields such as: technology forecasting, public policy, and strategic planning.

I discovered that one danger of the Delphi method is that it can be susceptible to groupthink. Groupthink occurs when individuals in a group prioritize conformity and consensus over critical thinking and independent judgment. This can lead to a lack of diverse perspectives and a failure to consider alternative viewpoints, which can result in flawed decision-making.

Another potential danger of the Delphi method is that it can be subject to manipulation by those in power. The method relies heavily on the facilitator, or leader of the group to set the agenda and frame the questions being asked. This gives the leader a significant amount of control over the direction of the conversation and the outcomes that are produced. If the leader has a vested interest in a particular outcome or agenda, they may manipulate the process to achieve their desired outcome, potentially at the expense of the group’s collective judgment.

Here are some ways in which the Delphi method could be manipulated:

Selective inclusion of experts
Those in power could selectively include or exclude certain experts based on their views or opinions on the issue at hand. This could result in a biased outcome that favors the views of those in power.

Deliberate framing of questions
The questions asked in the Delphi process could be framed in a way that favors a particular viewpoint or solution. For instance, a question could be worded in a way that assumes a certain outcome or solution.

Manipulation of feedback
Those in power could manipulate the feedback given to experts between rounds to influence their opinions or sway the results in their favor.

Misuse of anonymity
The anonymity of the Delphi process could be used to hide the identity of those in power who may be manipulating the process. This could also result in experts being more likely to conform to the opinions of those in power.

Disregard for expert opinions
Those in power could choose to ignore the results of the Delphi process if they do not align with their own views or interests.

When there is an agenda being pushed, we as a people have to be mindful of what is being presented to us. Unfortunately, we live in a time where the agenda being pushed are by those who remain in the shadows. The decisions that we are being tricked into believing are not ours and we don’t even know it; well maybe now that we know what the Delphi process is, we can be cognizant when we are doing surveys.

Stay aware people! Stay aware!