Psychologification

The act of explaining social, economic, political, or cultural phenomena as solely or primarily psychological processes—individual cognitions, emotions, personality traits, or biases. It ignores structural factors (class, race, colonialism, capitalism) in favor of internal mental states. Common in neoliberal social science and self‑help culture, psychologification reframes poverty as “learned helplessness,” inequality as “fixed mindset,” and resistance as “anger management issues.” Critics argue it individualizes systemic problems, blaming victims and exonerating power structures. It is a form of psychological reductionism that serves the status quo.

Psychologification Example: “The consultant psychologified workplace burnout as ‘poor stress management,’ ignoring 60‑hour weeks, understaffing, and zero job security. Employees were sent to resilience training, while management changed nothing.”

Psychologification by Abzugal June 5, 2026