The Pseudo-JustificationPseudo-explanation is a concept that refers to a tendency to give a justification for an action or decision that is not actually a real justification. It is a type of deception that aims to disguise or justify the true motivation behind an action. This type of justification can be very subtle and often people are not even aware that they are using it.
The origin of pseudo-justification can be traced back to various sources. One possibility is that it is a means of justifying a decision based on irrational or emotional reasons. In these cases, pseudo-justification can be used to create an apparently rational basis for the decision, even if there is none in reality.
Another possibility is that pseudo-justification is used as a kind of defence mechanism. When we are confronted with a decision or action that goes against our core values or beliefs, it can be easy to manoeuvre ourselves into a situation where we feel compelled to justify ourselves. In these cases, the use of pseudo-justification can help to reduce the feeling of guilt or remorse and allow us to explain to ourselves and others that our actions were justified.
It is important to emphasise that pseudo-justification is not necessarily a conscious act. Many people use it without realising it because it is part of their normal thought patterns and behaviours. It is also important to recognise that pseudo-justification is often linked to other behaviours such as rationalisation, projection or denial.
Pseudo-justification in action
A well-known Experiment from 1987 impressively demonstrates this phenomenon. The study leader queued in a copy shop to make a copy. He tried to skip the queue once for no reason and twice for different reasons. With no reason given, the explanation was succinct: "Excuse me, I have five pages to copy, may I please go first?" The placebo explanation without a real, valid reason was: "Excuse me, I have five pages to copy, may I please go first because I need to make copies?" And a real reason was "Excuse me, I have five pages to copy, may I please go first because I'm in a hurry?" The result was impressive. Without a reason, 60 % let him move forward, with a placebo reason 93 % and with a real reason 94 %.
This experiment shows how people are able to justify their actions on the basis of a seemingly rational justification, following their inner prejudices and irrational motives. It also illustrates how important it is to scrutinise our own beliefs and motives and not blindly trust in seemingly plausible justifications.
Why does pseudo-justification work?
People strive to reconcile their behaviour with their beliefs and values. So when we make a decision that contradicts our convictions or moral beliefs, we usually feel discomfort or dissonance. To reduce this dissonance, we look for reasons that justify our actions and confirm our beliefs. These reasons do not necessarily have to be rational or logical, but merely serve to reduce the discrepancy between our actions and our beliefs.
Another reason why pseudo-justification is so effective lies in our desire for social acceptance and recognition. People tend to align their behaviour with the expectations and norms of their social environment. So if we believe that our actions could be considered inappropriate or unethical by other people, we look for reasons to justify our actions and ensure our social acceptance.
Pseudo-justification can also be reinforced by our prejudices and stereotypes. For example, if we judge certain groups of people negatively on the basis of prejudices, we can justify our actions so that they correspond to our prejudices. We then look for arguments that make our behaviour appear appropriate and justified and confirm our prejudices.
Example from marketing
Statistical and mathematical justifications achieve a particularly high "pseudo-justification effect". The Swedish mathematician Kimmo Eriksson, for example, showed that a scientific paper with mathematical terms and formulae was rated as significantly more credible than the same paper without the formulae. Exact figures with decimal places appear even more convincing ("pseudo-scientific") than rounded figures.¹ And this type of pseudo-effect even increased the purchase intention of shampoos in one study! This is because when the pseudo-scientific addition "chemical-plus-factor" was printed on the pack, the purchase intention of women increased by 180 %.² Interestingly, this effect was not observed in men, but this may be less due to the pseudo-effect itself, to which men are of course also susceptible, but rather to the product. Try to justify your statements in practice as often as possible, even if they are only pseudo-justifications (no lies!). You can do this, for example, with the classic benefit argument: "Thanks to our many years of experience, we guarantee you maximum safety" sounds much more convincing than just "We guarantee you maximum safety".
Outlook for future research and practice
Pseudo-justification is a topic that will certainly continue to be the focus of research and practice in the future. One promising direction for future research is to investigate the role of emotions in pseudo-justification. It is believed that emotions such as guilt, shame or anger can play an important role in how people justify and rationalise their actions. By investigating the effects of emotions on pseudo-justification, researchers can gain a better understanding of how people make their decisions and why they justify certain behaviours.
Another interesting line of research is the investigation of the role of group and interest conflicts in pseudo-justification. It is known that people often justify their decisions and actions to support the interests and beliefs of their group or to avoid conflict with other groups. By examining these dynamics, researchers can gain a better understanding of how group dynamics and conflicts of interest influence pseudo-justification.
Pseudo-justification will also play an important role in practice. Companies and organisations will continue to try to use pseudo-justification to sell their products and services or to justify their actions. It is important that consumers develop a critical awareness of the mechanisms of pseudo-justification so that they can make informed purchasing decisions and are not led by irrational motives.
It is also important that companies and organisations are transparent and honest in their communications in order to gain consumer trust. Through transparent communication and honest information, companies can ensure that pseudo-justification is not used as a tactic to manipulate consumers, but as a tool to support informed purchasing decisions.
Sources
¹ K. Eriksson: The Nonsense Math Effect, Judgment and Decision Making, 2012, 7, 746-749.
² Q. Muhammad Salman: Pseudo-Scientific Jargons And Advertising Persuasiveness Shampoos, Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology, 2007.