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Humanizing the self: Moderators of the attribution of lesser humanness to others
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Humanizing the self: Moderators of the attribution of lesser humanness to others

N. Haslam and P. Bain
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol.33(1), pp.57-68
01/2007
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Abstract

Three studies investigated moderators of the tendency to attribute greater humanness to the self than to others, an interpersonal counterpart of outgroup infra-humanization. Study 1 demonstrated that this self-humanizing effect is reduced when the other is the focus of comparison. Study 2 showed that the effect is reduced when the other is individuated. Study 3 indicated that empathy does not moderate self-humanizing: Self-humanizing failed to correlate negatively with dispositional empathy or perspective-taking. Study 3 also indicated that abstract construal moderates the self-humanizing effect using a temporal comparison. Participants rated their future self, but not their past self, as less human than their present self. Studies 1 and 3 also showed that self-humanizing is greater for undesirable traits: People may view their failings as "only human." All findings were distinct from those attributable to self-enhancement. Self-humanizing may reflect a combination of egocentrism, focalism, abstract representation of others, and motivated processes.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#10 Reduced Inequalities

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
6 Social Sciences
6.73 Social Psychology
6.73.447 Racial Identity
Web Of Science research areas
Psychology, Social
ESI research areas
Psychiatry/Psychology
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