Notes on Dehumanization

Individualswho are perceived as deviant (Vasiljevic &
Viki, 2014) or as lacking in normative standards (e.g.,
moral values) are more likely to be the target of dehumanization
(Brandt & Reyna, 2011; Haslam et al.,
2011). Thus, we argue that homophobic epithets, compared
with category labels and generic insults should
elicit dehumanization of male homosexuals. That is,
homophobic language does not only disparage gay
men but also places the spotlight on them as deviants,
exposing them to dehumanization. Those who are perceived
as violating values, especially in-group values
(Greenhalgh & Watt, 2014), or behaving in an antinormative
manner are indeed appraised as less human
(Vasiljevic & Viki, 2014).

In our work, we test whether homophobic epithets
lead to a denial of uniquely human qualities (Haslam,
2006), a form of dehumanization associated with viewing
others as more like animals. Specifically, we expect
that priming participants with homophobic epithets
should decrease the attribution of these uniquely
human characteristics to gay men.

Previous research has shown that
people tend to maintain physical distance toward individuals
labeled as deviant, perceived as dissimilar
and negatively stereotyped (Heinemann, Pellander,
Vogelbusch, & Wojtek, 1981; Macrae, Bodenhausen,
Milne, & Jetten, 1994; Skitka, Bauman, & Sargis,
2005; Snyder & Endelman, 1979). Moreover, physical
distancing is a way to protect the self from physical
and psychological contagion (Kurzban & Leary,
2001; Park, Faulkner, & Schaller, 2003). In this
regard, it should be noted that some authors have
argued that anti-gay prejudice is related to perceived
threat to heterosexuals’ health and values (Cottrell &
Neuberg, 2005). This fear of contagion at the psychological
level as well as at the physical level should be
particularly salient in heterosexuals when gay men
are labeled in a disparaging way. This is because homophobic
epithets can stress gay deviance, and thus
the “threat” that gay men pose. Hence, compared
with category labels or generic insults, we expect
homophobic epithets to be more likely to induce
physical distancing from a gay man.

Participants Section with Apriori or Posthoc Power Analysis using G Power

Method 
Participants 
We recruited 173 participants (85 female, 88 male, Mage ¼ 37.00 years, SDage ¼ 13.92 years) for US$0.50 on MTurk. Participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (stigma: high, low) 2(suffering intensity: high, low) between-subjects design. Power analysis using G*Power 3.1 revealed that to find a comparable stigma effect to the pilot study (d ¼ .37) with 80% power and a one-tailed probability of .05, the required sample size is n ¼ 184.

from:

Cameron, C. D., Harris, L. T., & Payne, B. K. (2015). The Emotional Cost of Humanity Anticipated Exhaustion Motivates Dehumanization of Stigmatized Targets. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1948550615604453.

AMAZING IDEA - TEST THIS!!! FEELING DISRESPECT WHEN HONOUR WAS DESERVED VS. HONOUR WAS NOT DESERVED

Honor is another concept which partially overlaps with the meaning of “respect.” Honor refers to an actor’s public reputation based on her public compliance with the code of a particular status group. Typically it entails norms mandating honesty, courage, calm composure, or generosity (Berger, 1970; Lebow, 2008: chap. 2; Offer, 1995). The experience of disrespect, by contrast, largely depends on the relationship between others’ behavior and one’s own subjective expectations, in particular to one’s own standards of social worth and importance. Honor is based on the opinion of the broader social environment; it is not a specific attitude which a particular actor is supposed to display in a specific social encounter. In contrast, the experience of respect and disrespect intrinsically depends on an actor’s subjective sense of her self-worth and -importance. Accordingly, in some instances an actor may not feel disrespected even though somebody has tarnished her honor (or reputation or prestige): for instance, if she is well aware of the fact that the honor she publicly enjoyed was actually based on fraud or cover-up.

Wolf, R. (2011). Respect and disrespect in international politics: the significance of status recognition. International Theory, 3(1), 105-142.

Mplus code for mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation models

http://offbeat.group.shef.ac.uk/FIO/mplusmedmod.htm