Pseudofication as Cultural Mimicry

Pseudofication names the process by which practices, beliefs, or institutions imitate the form and trappings of something valuable (science, virtue, seriousness) to capture the social benefits of the original without its substance. The essay frames this as a recurrent cultural dynamic—analogous to Batesian mimicry—that operates in real time and drives the spread of performative arguments, faux‑values, and pseudo‑science. — If adopted, the term helps journalists, policymakers and researchers distinguish sincere claims from status‑driven performatives, sharpening debates about misinformation, institutional legitimacy, and cultural polarization.