There is a vast array of strategies that can be used during conflicts in romantic relationships, manipulation being one of them. Manipulation is obscured way of inserting social influence that aims to change or control someone to ones own advantage.
Evolutionary theory predicts that the role of manipulation can be high in the case of romantic partners, who can use social information about their partners to manipulate them. Increased rate of use of manipulative strategies can be expected in partners with an anxious personality, which has been linked to indirect and manipulative communication strategies in relationships.