Animalistic slurs increase harm by changing perceptions of social desirability

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Communication Studies
• Political Science

Background:

• Propaganda and hate speech frequently use animalistic comparisons for targeted groups.
• Previous research suggests this dehumanizing language increases endorsement of intergroup harm, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how animalistic language influences the cultural transmission of beliefs about target groups.
• To clarify the psychological mechanism linking animalistic slurs to increased endorsement of harm.

Main Methods:

• Two pre-registered, high-powered studies were conducted.
• Participants were exposed to descriptions of a novel political group using animalistic slurs.
• Measures assessed endorsement of harm and perceptions of uniquely human qualities.

Main Results:

• Exposure to animalistic slurs significantly increased participants' endorsement of harm towards the target group.
• Animalistic language did not affect perceptions of the target group possessing uniquely human qualities.
• The mechanism driving increased harm endorsement was the perception of the target group as more undesirable.

Conclusions:

• Animalistic slurs increase intergroup harm endorsement by enhancing perceived undesirability, rather than by diminishing perceived humanity.
• Findings provide novel insights into the functioning of hate speech and the nature of dehumanization.