Investigating the link between biological dehumanization and indirect aggression

Abstract

AbstractThe present research aims at expanding the literature on biologization (i.e., a form of dehumanization in which others are perceived as contagious entities) by providing the first empirical evidence of the link between this sociopsychological process and indirect aggression (i.e., behaviours intended to harm someone in a roundabout manner, such as excluding them from a group or society). We first identified the most dehumanized social groups in Italy. Then, by using cluster analysis, we demonstrated that biologized social groups (i.e., drug addicts, homeless people, prostitutes, and sick people) tend especially to be victims of indirect rather than direct aggression tendencies (i.e., intentions against individuals or groups to cause damage through face‐to‐face confrontation). Furthermore, we found that social groups associated with disease‐related metaphors are more likely to be victims of indirect aggression than social groups perceived as animal‐like (i.e., immigrants, prisoners, and Roma). These findings enrich our understanding of biological dehumanization and enhance the so far scarce literature on the topic.