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The perpetration of dehumanization: A systematic review
Gery C Karantzas1, Jeffry A Simpson2
1School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|May 7, 2026
Summary
This review synthesizes 96 studies on dehumanization perpetration from 2021-2025. Findings show ingroup bias and social factors predict dehumanization, while empathy mitigates it.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Intergroup Relations
Background:
- Dehumanization is a critical social-cognitive process with significant intergroup and interpersonal consequences.
- Recent research (2021-2025) has expanded our understanding of dehumanization's predictors and contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize research on the perpetration of dehumanization published between 2021 and 2025.
- To identify key individual difference and contextual variables influencing dehumanization across different social settings.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and synthesis of 96 empirical studies.
- Focus on experimental designs and social-cognitive assessments of dehumanization.
- Analysis of variables across intergroup and interpersonal contexts.
Main Results:
- Ingroup members frequently dehumanize various outgroups (e.g., migrants, political opponents, low-status groups).
- Positive interpersonal relationships and empathy significantly mitigate dehumanization.
- Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) positively predicts dehumanization, while empathy negatively predicts it.
- Individuals perceived as indifferent or lacking distinctiveness are more susceptible to dehumanization.
Conclusions:
- Dehumanization is influenced by a complex interplay of individual differences (e.g., empathy, SDO) and contextual factors.
- Mitigating dehumanization requires fostering positive intergroup contact and promoting empathy.
- Future research should continue to explore basic and applied aspects of dehumanization to inform interventions.
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