Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
People have an amazing capacity to see their fellow human beings as...not human. Psychologists have studied this both in its blatant and more subtle forms. What does it mean to dehumanize? How can researchers capture everyday dehumanization? Is it just prejudice? What does it say about how we think about non-human animals?
+++ References +++
For information on "human zoos," see these useful resources:
Overview: popularresistance.org/deep-racism-the-forgotten-history-of-human-zoos
cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/human-zoos-a-shocking-history-of-shame-and-exploitation
bbc.com/news/magazine-16295827
1907 Paris Colonial Exhibition: messynessychic.com/2012/03/02/the-haunting-human-zoo-of-paris
france-travel-info.com/haunting-human-zoo-images-paris
Ota Benga: npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6225825
nytimes.com/2006/08/06/nyregion/thecity/06zoo.html
The psychology:
Boysen, G. A., Isaacs, R. A., Tretter, L., & Markowski, S. (2020). Evidence for blatant dehumanization of mental illness and its relation to stigma. The Journal of Social Psychology, 160(3). doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2019.1671301
Bruneau, E., Kteily, N., & Laustsen, L. (2018). The unique effects of blatant dehumanization on attitudes and behavior towards Muslim refugees during the European ‘refugee crisis’ across four countries. European Journal of Social Psychology, 48(5), 645-662. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2357
Bruneau, E., Jacoby, N., Kteily, N., & Saxe, R. (2018). Denying humanity: The distinct neural correlates of blatant dehumanization. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(7). doi.org/10.1037/xge0000417
Costello, K., & Hodson, G. (2010). Exploring the roots of dehumanization: The role of animal—human similarity in promoting immigrant humanization. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 13(1). doi.org/10.1177/1368430209347725
Goff, P. A., Eberhardt, J. L., Williams, M. J., & Jackson, M. C. (2008). Not yet human: Implicit knowledge, historical dehumanization, and contemporary consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(2). doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.94.2.292
Harris, L. T., & Fiske, S. T. (2006). Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: Neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups. Psychological Science, 17(10). doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01793.x
Kteily, N., Bruneau, E., Waytz, A., & Cotterill, S. (2015). The ascent of man: Theoretical and empirical evidence for blatant dehumanization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(5). doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000048
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2000). The emotional side of prejudice: The attribution of secondary emotions to ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(2). doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0402_06
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2001). Psychological essentialism and the differential attribution of uniquely human emotions to ingroups and outgroups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31(4). doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.50
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2007). Infra-humanization: The wall of group differences. Social Issues and Policy Review, 1(1). doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2007.00006.x
Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 46(1). doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1990.tb00268.x
Robinson, E., & Kersbergen, I. (2016). Overweight or about right? A norm comparison explanation of perceived weight status. Obesity Science & Practice, 3(1). doi.org/10.1002/osp4.89
For more on "The March of Progress": https://sites.wustl.edu/prosper/on-the-origins-of-the-march-of-progress/
+++ Media Credits +++
-Photos from the 1907 Colonial Exhibition in Paris are from the July 15, 1907 issue of “La Dépêche coloniale illustrée,” sourced from gallica.bnf.fr / BnF (public domain); https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9743455w
-Poster of Jardin Zoologique D’Acclimation Somalis sourced from gallica.bnf.fr / BnF (public domain); https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b90085705
-Photos of the ruins of the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale: Groume via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0; flickr.com/photos/groume/)
-Ota Benga at Bronx Zoo (Library of Congress, 1915; public domain): commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ota_Benga_at_Bronx_Zoo.jpg
-Various images from freepik.com (designed by Freepik, GarryKillian, and macrovector)
-World Map (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; public domain): http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world.html
-Images from “Early Man” (Time-Life Books, 1968) are presented for educational context and thus fall under fair use.
==================
Opinion Science is a psychology podcast exploring the science of our opinions, where they come from and how they change.
Website: opinionsciencepodcast.com
People have an amazing capacity to see their fellow human beings as...not human. Psychologists have studied this both in its blatant and more subtle forms. What does it mean to dehumanize? How can researchers capture everyday dehumanization? Is it just prejudice? What does it say about how we think about non-human animals?
+++ References +++
For information on "human zoos," see these useful resources:
Overview: popularresistance.org/deep-racism-the-forgotten-history-of-human-zoos
cbc.ca/natureofthings/features/human-zoos-a-shocking-history-of-shame-and-exploitation
bbc.com/news/magazine-16295827
1907 Paris Colonial Exhibition: messynessychic.com/2012/03/02/the-haunting-human-zoo-of-paris
france-travel-info.com/haunting-human-zoo-images-paris
Ota Benga: npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6225825
nytimes.com/2006/08/06/nyregion/thecity/06zoo.html
The psychology:
Boysen, G. A., Isaacs, R. A., Tretter, L., & Markowski, S. (2020). Evidence for blatant dehumanization of mental illness and its relation to stigma. The Journal of Social Psychology, 160(3). doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2019.1671301
Bruneau, E., Kteily, N., & Laustsen, L. (2018). The unique effects of blatant dehumanization on attitudes and behavior towards Muslim refugees during the European ‘refugee crisis’ across four countries. European Journal of Social Psychology, 48(5), 645-662. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2357
Bruneau, E., Jacoby, N., Kteily, N., & Saxe, R. (2018). Denying humanity: The distinct neural correlates of blatant dehumanization. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(7). doi.org/10.1037/xge0000417
Costello, K., & Hodson, G. (2010). Exploring the roots of dehumanization: The role of animal—human similarity in promoting immigrant humanization. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 13(1). doi.org/10.1177/1368430209347725
Goff, P. A., Eberhardt, J. L., Williams, M. J., & Jackson, M. C. (2008). Not yet human: Implicit knowledge, historical dehumanization, and contemporary consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(2). doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.94.2.292
Harris, L. T., & Fiske, S. T. (2006). Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: Neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups. Psychological Science, 17(10). doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01793.x
Kteily, N., Bruneau, E., Waytz, A., & Cotterill, S. (2015). The ascent of man: Theoretical and empirical evidence for blatant dehumanization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(5). doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000048
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2000). The emotional side of prejudice: The attribution of secondary emotions to ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(2). doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0402_06
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2001). Psychological essentialism and the differential attribution of uniquely human emotions to ingroups and outgroups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31(4). doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.50
Leyens, J-P. et al. (2007). Infra-humanization: The wall of group differences. Social Issues and Policy Review, 1(1). doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-2409.2007.00006.x
Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 46(1). doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1990.tb00268.x
Robinson, E., & Kersbergen, I. (2016). Overweight or about right? A norm comparison explanation of perceived weight status. Obesity Science & Practice, 3(1). doi.org/10.1002/osp4.89
For more on "The March of Progress": https://sites.wustl.edu/prosper/on-the-origins-of-the-march-of-progress/
+++ Media Credits +++
-Photos from the 1907 Colonial Exhibition in Paris are from the July 15, 1907 issue of “La Dépêche coloniale illustrée,” sourced from gallica.bnf.fr / BnF (public domain); https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9743455w
-Poster of Jardin Zoologique D’Acclimation Somalis sourced from gallica.bnf.fr / BnF (public domain); https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b90085705
-Photos of the ruins of the Jardin d’Agronomie Tropicale: Groume via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0; flickr.com/photos/groume/)
-Ota Benga at Bronx Zoo (Library of Congress, 1915; public domain): commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ota_Benga_at_Bronx_Zoo.jpg
-Various images from freepik.com (designed by Freepik, GarryKillian, and macrovector)
-World Map (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; public domain): http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world.html
-Images from “Early Man” (Time-Life Books, 1968) are presented for educational context and thus fall under fair use.
==================
Opinion Science is a psychology podcast exploring the science of our opinions, where they come from and how they change.
Website: opinionsciencepodcast.com
