Language framing shapes dehumanization of groups: A successful replication and extension of Cooley et al. (2017).

Abstract

In this journal, Cooley et al. (2017, Study 3) showed that presenting a social target as a group, as opposed to a group composite (i.e., people in a group) or as an individual, lowered perceptions that the target had a sense of mind (perceived capacity for experience and agency), both of which subsequently predicted lower sympathy for the target. In a direct replication but using double the sample size and preregistered hypotheses and methods, we found results strikingly supportive of the target article. We also expanded their findings, showing the effects (particularly of perceived experience) on willingness to help a target in need. The implications for using short communications to promote social change, particularly in a viral social media world, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).