SNS is a stage for displaying our "fitness signals" ~ Evolutionary Psychology and SNS Marketing

In this series, Akira Amano of Dentsu Inc. Media Innovation Lab shares insights on SNS marketing, particularly short videos, based on his recent publications and professional experience.

Last time, we examined why short videos are trending, analyzing the characteristics of services like TikTok and the behavioral psychology of users. This time, shifting perspective slightly, we explore evolutionary psychology (※1), which the author currently finds compelling, and discuss how it relates to social media marketing.

We explore the hypothesis that it might actually be our fundamental desire for connection and the motivation for "showing off" (conspicuous consumption) that drives social media.

*1 A branch of psychology positing that the foundations of human mental activity were shaped during our biological evolutionary process. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning anthropology, sociobiology, cognitive science, and more.

 

Social Media and Evolutionary Psychology

Why do people use social media like TikTok in the first place?

The author's own research has centered on this very question. Specifically, Chapter 2 of the 2022 book "Business for the New Generation Emerges from Smartphones: SNS Marketing in the Short Video Era" (Sekai Bunka Sha) explored this theme based on the emerging academic field of evolutionary psychology.
 

Evolutionary Psychology is fascinating because its discussions start from the fundamental premise of "What is human nature, fundamentally?" Furthermore, its interdisciplinary nature—combining insights from biology, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and sociology—holds significant exploratory value.

Given the broad applicability of its theoretical framework, insights leaning toward sociology and marketing have notably increased in recent years.

Much of the prevailing social media marketing theory focuses on

① How to efficiently generate results from social media marketing (the "How" perspective)

② Analysis of the MZ generation and various communities utilizing social media (Who perspective)

③ Analysis of hit products/content sparked by social media marketing (What perspective)

However, the author's focus lies on:

④ Why the social media space holds such significant meaning for marketing (the Why perspective)

This aspect tends to be less prominent compared to ①, ②, and ③.

While efforts addressing ④ were seen in the pioneering 2010s, theoretical updates seem to have diminished since then. This is precisely why I feel there is value in introducing evolutionary psychology into this discussion.

Feedback on my book has been varied, but many readers found Chapter 2 particularly compelling. This is likely because the approach of combining social media marketing with evolutionary psychology was virtually nonexistent.

Why Evolutionary Psychology is Needed by Marketers Now

To put it simply, the position of evolutionary psychology is this:

"Many of the mechanisms of the human mind were shaped by biological adaptations during the evolutionary process as a species. In other words, the brain mechanisms that give rise to the mind were designed by natural selection, which favors individuals possessing certain traits that enable them to leave more offspring than others."

Fundamentally, isn't the very foundation of evolutionary psychology itself analogous to the position of advertising and marketing, which deals with concepts like "the strength of a brand (to survive)" and "popularity (support from the masses)"?

One crucial mission of marketing is to decipher the psychology and behavior of consumers (customers), revealing the underlying principles and insights. Evolutionary psychology offers various useful concepts for this mission; here, we introduce the concepts of "proximate causes" and "ultimate causes."

This theory posits that behind our psychology and actions, there exist two layers: the "immediate factors" – the readily apparent reasons – and the "ultimate factors" – the more complex underlying causes.

For example, when pancakes become trendy, many marketers try to unravel the mystery. When they ask customers why they ate them, they get answers like "I was hungry" or "they looked good" – the first reasons that come to mind.

In fact, interview surveys often yield such answers. While they seem plausible, haven't you ever felt that something wasn't quite right, yet just accepted it as you had to? In reality, these are merely proximate factors.

The other, ultimate cause explains that behavior or psychology from an evolutionary psychology perspective.

Using the pancake example, the ultimate factor is this: "Our ancestors lived in environments where carbohydrates and fats were scarce. Therefore, even if we think it's unhealthy or will make us fat, we remember the pleasant feeling and our minds become satisfied."

In other words, by understanding both what we feel now and the mental processes shaped by evolution, we can get closer to a better answer. For marketers who need to grasp the psychology and behavior of consumers, evolutionary psychology can be a useful tool.

The Shift from Maslow to Kenrick: What Marketers Need to Know

In marketing circles, psychologist Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory is well-known. It frequently appears in numerous books and presentations, and most people have likely heard of it at least once.

It states that our needs fall into five broad categories: (I) Physiological needs, (II) Safety needs, (III) Belongingness and love needs, (IV) Esteem needs, and (V) Self-actualization needs.

It explains that as each level from (I) to (V) is satisfied to a certain degree, our needs progress to higher levels. A pyramid is often depicted, with (I) as the foundation and (V) at the apex.

However, it is widely believed that this pyramid was not actually drawn by Maslow himself (!). Moreover, it is no longer seriously considered in academia due to its lack of empirical evidence. It appears to have been created later to popularize Maslow's theory.

In my view, Maslow's pyramid is less an explanation of how human needs actually are, and more a reflection of how we wish human needs to be.

In the field of evolutionary psychology, it is often suggested that Douglas Kenrick's (*2) model of the pyramid of needs is a better reference.

A key feature of Kenrick's pyramid is that the process of ascending from lower to higher needs aligns with a biological growth trajectory: being born, growing up, finding a partner, establishing a family, and maintaining it. This isn't Kenrick's original idea or whim; it follows the principles of Life History Theory.

Life History Theory is a perspective that examines the changes throughout an organism's lifetime—how it is born, how it grows, how it reproduces, and how it dies.

Kenrick's pyramid consists of: ① Urgent physiological needs, ② Self-defense needs, ③ Belonging needs, ④ Status/self-esteem needs, ⑤ Spouse acquisition needs, ⑥ Spouse maintenance needs, and ⑦ Child-rearing needs.

Needs ① and ② are about sustaining one's own life. Needs ③ and ④ are about securing one's place within a group and gaining recognition for one's existence. Needs ⑤ through ⑦ are about finding a partner and building one's own family.

Maslow's top-tier need (V) for self-actualization has vanished—understandably so, as it seems too abstract to define—while the sexual and familial needs he left undefined have come to the fore. Herein lies a reality often avoided yet profoundly significant.

For instance, the surge in the dating app market following the pandemic is precisely because ⑤ remains vital (we're now even seeing municipalities officially operating dating apps). While modern lifestyle diversity has led to the notion that "once you become an adult, you must quickly marry (⑥) and have children (⑦)" being called outdated, I feel it's crucial for evolutionary psychology to directly address and acknowledge that this remains a grounded individual desire.

It should be noted that Kenrick's pyramid, contrary to its appearance, is described as lacking a hierarchical structure. This means desires can sometimes conflict with each other. From a marketing perspective, the key is not to view ① through ⑦ as a top-down hierarchy, but rather to treat each desire as a "module" (component) that can be freely combined and utilized in analysis.

Psychological experiments also show that men exposed to romantic narratives activate Level 5, making them more likely to purchase high-priced goods or take on speculative financial risks by sacrificing Level 2.

Depending on the situation, different desire modules activate, and this determines how effectively a product or service's appeal message resonates. Kenrick's pyramid is useful because it allows us to be conscious of priming (where behavior is unconsciously influenced by received stimuli) in consumers.

※2 American evolutionary psychologist. Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. Author of "The Savage Mind: Evolutionary Psychology" (Hakuyosha, 2014) among others.

 

Understanding customers beyond demographics: The "Core Six"

While Kenrick's Pyramid depicts the universal "desire engine" inherent in all people, each of us naturally possesses individuality. Evolutionary psychologist Jeffrey Miller (※3) therefore attempts to apply his Core Six items framework to this field to capture the shape of the mind. If Kenrick's Pyramid theory addresses the "surface" common to many people, Miller's Core Six themes delve into the "depth" of individual existence.

It seeks to understand each person's individuality not through traditional demographic factors like gender and age, but through the following indicators. It's also worth noting that recent discussions increasingly focus on the fading differences in awareness, values, and preferences across age groups (the so-called "age-lessening" phenomenon).

The core six items refer to General Intelligence—commonly known as "IQ"—and the five indicators collectively called the Big Five, frequently used in psychology. The Big Five are Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Stability, and Extraversion. These can be memorized as "GOCASE" using their initial letters. The distribution of individuals scoring high or low on all six traits follows a normal distribution (bell curve), similar to height.


The Big Five indicators can be summarized as follows:

High Openness (O) indicates strong curiosity and a tendency to be interested in new things, while low Openness suggests a conservative nature that dislikes change.

Conscientiousness (C): High scores indicate strong willpower and adherence to promises and rules, while low scores suggest a more impulsive, less diligent personality.

High Agreeableness (A) indicates a focus on empathy and harmony, while low scores mean less hesitation toward self-centered actions.

High Stability (S) indicates emotional and mental consistency and is known to be the item most correlated with happiness.

Extraversion (E) relates to how active and sociable someone is in interpersonal relationships.

The feeling we get when we think, "This person is likable"—that's GO-CASE!—is deeply connected to these core six traits. Crucially, higher general intelligence (G) is always preferable. The remaining Big Five traits are actually quite individual. Someone with low stability (S) might be attracted to someone with high stability, while a large gap in conscientiousness (C) could lead to conflicting schedules and accumulated stress. Conversely, two people with low agreeableness (A) might find it easier to get along without having to constantly read each other's cues.

Moreover, many of society's "valuable things" relate to one of the Big Five traits. A degree earned through diligent daily study at a prestigious university serves as solid proof of the individual's Conscientiousness (C), while also incorporating elements of General Intelligence (G).

The reason everyone wants to say "I was club captain" or "I was a part-time job leader" in job interviews is to show they have high agreeableness (A) and extraversion (E), meaning they can function as the center of a group.

Being among the first to visit a trendy new café is nothing more than an appeal to show they aren't lacking in Openness (O).

Cars with wild branding sell well because, on one hand, not being overly practical (C) makes them appealing to men.

The pleasure of wearing high-end fashion designed by famous designers isn't solely about flaunting wealth or status. It stems from the ability to display qualities like intelligence (G) and creativity (O) – traits valued throughout our evolutionary process.

※3 American evolutionary psychologist. Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico. Also renowned for research on sexual selection.

 

SNS is a stage for flaunting our fitness displays

Underlying everything discussed so far is the existence of people's "fitness signals."

According to Miller, fitness signals are signals that allow others to perceive what qualities or characteristics an individual possesses. This fitness refers to biological fitness—that is, the likelihood of survival and reproduction (naturally, non-human animals also possess their own unique versions).

Our consumption activities are driven by this signaling—this display.

When this topic arises, some argue it represents the negative impact of modern consumer society—claiming that ostentatious display is a false motive and that we should distance ourselves from consumption driven by such impulses.

However, the idea that much of our consumption is a display of fitness is not unique to modern times. It is a phenomenon that has been universally observed throughout various periods of human society and across different regions, not just in modern society. For example, the 19th-century economist Thorstein Veblen discusses the theme of conspicuous consumption in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class.

Furthermore, while ostentatious consumption may seem to be something only done by the wealthy and asset-rich, it has been pointed out that similar behavior can be seen among the poor, suggesting that it is a desire shared by all human beings.

It can be summarized that many of our cultures and customs are based on the habitualization of high-cost signaling in some of the six core items.

Returning to the question posed at the beginning of this article, the reason we are quick to master new SNS platforms is that they help us signal openness (O). Deliberately achieving something high-cost—like something troublesome or difficult to understand—and thereby demonstrating that we are superior individuals is a fitness signal.

Furthermore, SNS platforms are precisely where we can broadcast this flaunting/signaling to friends, peers, and indeed the entire world. This is part of why we become so engrossed—or find it difficult to distance ourselves. SNS is the arena for flaunting our fitness signals.

It's worth noting that discussions about SNS often focus on youth culture, considering user characteristics. Therefore, as Miller points out, it's important to add that for young people in any era, "signaling that promises social and sexual rewards" is the most crucial fitness signal worth investing effort and ingenuity into.

In other words, if we observe young people investing motivation driven by "wanting to stand out" or "wanting to be popular," that is precisely proof they are genuinely committed to the service.

The defining characteristic of us humans lies in our ability to endlessly and infinitely generate new forms of fitness signals, imitate them, and embed them as culture. In other words, we constantly crave to update what's cool—which is precisely why new trends emerge daily from social media.