Article Version of Record

Bleeding-Heart Liberals and Hard-Hearted Conservatives: Subtle Political Dehumanization Through Differential Attributions of Human Nature and Human Uniqueness Traits

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Crawford, Jarret T.
Modri, Sean A.
Motyl, Matt

Abstract / Description

This research demonstrated that human nature (HN) and human uniqueness (HU) traits capture the content of Americans’ stereotypes about liberals and conservatives, respectively. Consistent with expectations derived from dehumanization theory, people more strongly associated HN traits with liberals than with conservatives, and more strongly associated HU traits with conservatives than with liberals. A trait × target ideology × perceiver ideology × trait valence interaction suggested that both liberals and conservatives more strongly associated their ingroup with stereotype-consistent positive traits, and their outgroup with stereotype-consistent negative traits. Mediation analyses revealed that outgroup antipathy, but not ingroup liking, explained the relationship between ideology and political outgroup dehumanization. Finally, humanness traits captured subtle differences in political stereotype content not captured with the warmth and competence dimensions derived from the stereotype content model. Together, these results indicate that differential attributions of HN and HU traits capture political stereotype content and function to subtly dehumanize one’s political opponents.

Keyword(s)

stereotypes dehumanization ideology intergroup relations stereotype content liberals conservatives

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-10-31

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

1

Issue

1

Page numbers

86–104

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Crawford, J. T., Modri, S. A., & Motyl, M. (2013). Bleeding-Heart Liberals and Hard-Hearted Conservatives: Subtle Political Dehumanization Through Differential Attributions of Human Nature and Human Uniqueness Traits. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 86–104. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.184
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Crawford, Jarret T.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Modri, Sean A.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Motyl, Matt
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:44:48Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:44:48Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-10-31
  • Abstract / Description
    This research demonstrated that human nature (HN) and human uniqueness (HU) traits capture the content of Americans’ stereotypes about liberals and conservatives, respectively. Consistent with expectations derived from dehumanization theory, people more strongly associated HN traits with liberals than with conservatives, and more strongly associated HU traits with conservatives than with liberals. A trait × target ideology × perceiver ideology × trait valence interaction suggested that both liberals and conservatives more strongly associated their ingroup with stereotype-consistent positive traits, and their outgroup with stereotype-consistent negative traits. Mediation analyses revealed that outgroup antipathy, but not ingroup liking, explained the relationship between ideology and political outgroup dehumanization. Finally, humanness traits captured subtle differences in political stereotype content not captured with the warmth and competence dimensions derived from the stereotype content model. Together, these results indicate that differential attributions of HN and HU traits capture political stereotype content and function to subtly dehumanize one’s political opponents.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Crawford, J. T., Modri, S. A., & Motyl, M. (2013). Bleeding-Heart Liberals and Hard-Hearted Conservatives: Subtle Political Dehumanization Through Differential Attributions of Human Nature and Human Uniqueness Traits. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 86–104. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.184
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1308
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1712
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.184
  • Keyword(s)
    stereotypes
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    dehumanization
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    ideology
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    intergroup relations
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    stereotype content
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    liberals
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    conservatives
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Bleeding-Heart Liberals and Hard-Hearted Conservatives: Subtle Political Dehumanization Through Differential Attributions of Human Nature and Human Uniqueness Traits
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    86–104
  • Volume
    1
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record