Social neuroscience evidence for dehumanised perception
Abstract
Dehumanisation describes perceiving a person as nonhuman in some ways, such as lacking a mind. Social psychology is beginning to understand cognitive and affective causes and mechanisms—the psychological how and why of dehumanisation. Social neuroscience research also can inform these questions. After background on social neural networks and on past dehumanisation research, the article contrasts (a) research on fully humanised person perception, reviewing studies on affective and cognitive factors, specifically mentalising (considering another's mind), with (b) dehumanised perception, proposing neural systems potentially involved. Finally, the conclusion suggests limitations of social neuroscience, future research directions, and real-world consequences of this all-too-human phenomenon.
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The authors' prior work shows that parts of the social-cognition network uniquely fail to engage for traditionally dehumanized targets such as homeless persons or drug addicts.
“our previous work shows that parts of this network uniquely fail to engage for traditionally dehumanized targets (homeless persons or drug addicts; see Harris & Fiske, 2009, for review)”
From Dehumanized Perception: A Psychological Means to Facilitate Atrocities, Torture, and Genocide? (2011) · cites this paper as Harris & Fiske, 2009
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References 166 · Cited by 148
- Authors
- Harris, L. T., & Fiske, S. T.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- Princeton University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Harris, Lasana T.
- Venue
- European Review of Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-02
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 192-231
- ISSN
- 1046-3283 (ISSN-L)
- 1479-277X
- OpenAlex
- W2013369503
- Cited by
- 148
- References
- 166
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 15.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Review of Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Keywords
- dehumanization, person perception, mentalization, mind perception
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