Referencia: Rodríguez-Carballeira, A., & Saldaña, O. (2018). Cults. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of lifespan human development (pp. 498-499). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd. doi:10.4135/9781506307633.n188
Autores: Álvaro Rodríguez-Carballeira y Omar Saldaña
Idioma: Inglés
Resumen: A cult can be defined as a group in which coercive persuasion and psychological abuse techniques are used to capture and keep its followers in order to dominate them and achieve their submission to the group. These abusive practices usually reduce the personal autonomy of the members of the group and harm their psychological and psychosocial health, producing negative consequences that can last for years after leaving the group. This entry defines and explains cults, differentiates the two main perspectives for their study, analyzes their atypical dynamics, and identifies some of the followers’ characteristics and risks.
