Ours is human: on the pervasiveness of infra-humanization in intergroup relations.
Both at a conceptual and an empirical level, infra-humanization has been put on par with the relative greater attribution of uniquely human emotions to the in-group, assuming that a group's humanity is exclusively a matter of having uniquely human characteristics. In the present research we suggest that people also adopt another strategy to infra-humanize the out-group by considering those aspects that characterize and differentiate the in-group from the out-group as more uniquely human. In three studies, characteristics presented as typical of the in-group and the out-group were judged on a not uniquely human-uniquely human dimension. In addition to humanity, in Study 3 participants judged in-group and out-group characteristics also on an evaluative dimension. Consistent with the hypothesis, participants judged in-group characteristics as more human than those of the out-group, independent of their valence. The implications of these results for infra-humanization theory are discussed.
Paladino
Maria-Paola
MP
Department of Cognitive Science and Education, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy. paladino@soc.unitn.it
Vaes
Jeroen
J
D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D040821:Human Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012945:Social Values; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires