Data_Sheet_1_Animalistic dehumanisation as a social influence strategy.PDF

The phenomenon of animalistic dehumanisation has been extensively studied in social psychology, but mostly as an intergroup relations tool used to justify the mistreatment of an outgroup. Surprisingly, however, dehumanisation has not been approached as an influence strategy to convince the ingroup to mistreat an outgroup. In the present article, we investigate these possible influence effects. We propose that a message depicting an outgroup in negative animalised terms would lead to lasting unfavourable outgroup attitudes because the animal essence conveyed through the message would immunise ingroup members against subsequent counterinfluence attempts. In one experimental study we compared the effect of three influence messages depicting a despised outgroup (Roma beggars) in negative animalised vs. negative humanised vs. positive humanised terms, followed by a counterpropaganda message advocating for Roma beggars’ rights. Results show that the animalisation message leads to a lasting animalised perception of the outgroup (eliciting disgust and repugnancy) that resists exposure to the counterpropaganda positive message. In contrast, the negative humanisation message provokes a brief negative perception of the group (pre-counterpropaganda) that disappears after exposure to the counterpropaganda. The animalisation message also leads to more negative attitudes and discriminatory behavioural intentions towards Roma beggars expressed after the counterpropaganda message (i.e., discrimination in the workplace, hiring intentions, and social proximity), whilst the negative humanisation message does not, showing no difference with the positive humanisation message. These results suggest that animalistic dehumanisation indeed acts as an influence strategy, immunising targets against subsequent counterpropaganda attempts. We discuss implications in the light of essentialisation, forms of dehumanisation and group status, and current non-discriminatory norms.

在社会科学心理学领域，动物性去人性化现象已被广泛研究，但主要作为族际关系工具，用于论证对外群体的不当对待。然而，令人惊讶的是，去人性化并未被视为一种影响策略，用以说服内群体对外群体进行不当对待。在本文中，我们探讨了这些可能的影响效应。我们提出，一条将外群体（罗姆人乞丐）描绘为负面动物化术语的信息，将导致持久的负面外群体态度，因为信息中传达的动物本质将使内群体成员对后续的反影响尝试产生免疫力。在一项实验研究中，我们比较了三种影响信息对受蔑视的外群体（罗姆人乞丐）在负面动物化、负面人性化与正面人性化术语描述下的效果，随后是一条倡导罗姆人乞丐权利的反宣传信息。结果显示，动物化信息导致对外群体持久的动物化感知（引发厌恶和反感），并抗拒接触反宣传的正面信息。相反，负面人性化信息引发了对该群体的短暂负面感知（在反宣传之前），在接触反宣传后消失。动物化信息还导致在反宣传信息发布后，对罗姆人乞丐表现出更负面的态度和歧视性行为意图（即在职场中的歧视、雇佣意图和社会亲近度），而负面人性化信息则没有，与正面人性化信息没有差异。这些结果表明，动物性去人性化确实是一种影响策略，使目标群体对后续的反宣传尝试产生免疫力。我们根据本质化、去人性化的形式和群体地位，以及当前的平等非歧视规范，讨论了这些结果的含义。