title: Humanizing the self: moderators of the attribution of lesser humanness to others.
abstract: Three studies investigated moderators of the tendency to attribute greater humanness to the self than to others, an interpersonal counterpart of outgroup infra-humanization. Study 1 demonstrated that this self-humanizing effect is reduced when the other is the focus of comparison. Study 2 showed that the effect is reduced when the other is individuated. Study 3 indicated that empathy does not moderate self-humanizing: Self-humanizing failed to correlate negatively with dispositional empathy or perspective-taking. Study 3 also indicated that abstract construal moderates the self-humanizing effect using a temporal comparison. Participants rated their future self, but not their past self, as less human than their present self. Studies 1 and 3 also showed that self-humanizing is greater for undesirable traits: People may view their failings as "only human." All findings were distinct from those attributable to self-enhancement. Self-humanizing may reflect a combination of egocentrism, focalism, abstract representation of others, and motivated processes.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Department of Psychology, Parkville, Australia. nhaslam@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haslam
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception