Psychological Motivators Theory: Baudrillard
Jean Baudrillard was a French social theorist who gained prominence in the 1980s for his postmodern ideas and philosophical approaches to study. His theories on consumption, the media, and politics helped shape some of our current thinking. One of his most influential works, The Psycho-Logic of Capitalism and Other Writings, offered a critique of the increasing omnipresence of consumption and consumption-based motivations in society.
Baudrillard argued that a psychological shift had occurred, whereby fulfilling basic material needs was no longer enough to motivate people. Rather, as consumers were becoming increasingly inundated with choices, they began to seek out ever-greater forms of gratification. This gave rise to a new breed of “psychological motivators”: powerful drivers of behavior, such as a desire for status, the need for recognition, the striving for excellence and a hunger for knowledge.
To illustrate the power of psychological motivators, Baudrillard pointed out that the material goods we buy take on a symbolic value; their worth stems from the social recognition they enable. He contended that this psychological desire was often more powerful than any material thing. For example, a car may offer the ability to get from place to place, but what really drives its purchase is recognition from peers.
Baudrillard argued that in the psychological motivators-based society, people began to indulge in what French sociologist Henri Lefebvre called “seductive objects.” The seductive power of such objects caused people to ignore the practical implications of their actions, hence leading to the apathy commonly experienced in modern societies. He proposed that a major challenge in today’s world is to determine what can replace the traditional reward structures of capitalism and encourage activities driven by more meaningful objectives.
Baudrillard’s work has been influential because it explores our motivations at a psychological level and reframes our relationship to material objects. The concept of seductive objects serves to remind us that although possessions may bring us joy, this satisfaction is often fleeting, and we should strive for more meaningful and lasting rewards. Furthermore, by underscoring the importance of social recognition, his work can help us to understand why people continue to pursue increasingly abstract forms of gratification. As such, Baudrillard’s theoretical approach has continued to have an impact on contemporary analyses.
