On the psycho-emotional deficitisation of workers in the age of cognitive enhancement.

This article examines the under-theorized topic of cognitive enhancement (CE) within organization studies by connecting macro-level phenomena—specifically the therapeutic ethos and cognitive capitalism—with micro-level phenomena such as cognitive abilities. Using Erich Fromm’s concept of social character, the authors theorize how these interactions foster the adoption of CE at work and lead to the psycho-emotional deficitisation (PED) of workers, defined as an internalized feeling of cognitive deficiency driven by external ideals of productivity under cognitive capitalism. The essay highlights how PED contributes to technology-mediated affective control and self-inferiorisation of workers relative to technology, emphasizing that CE is often pursued despite weak evidence of its efficacy. It concludes by proposing future research directions, particularly focusing on academic workers, and calls for critical dialogue about the social and ethical implications of normalizing CE in contemporary work environments.