Adults and Children Blatantly Dehumanize Outgroups

Dehumanization is observed in adults across cultures and is thought to motivate the worst forms of human violence. The age of first expression and the degree of socialization required to foster dehumanization remains largely untested. This research demonstrates that several different representations of humanness, including a novel one, readily elicit blatant dehumanization in adults (N = 482) and children (5-12 years of age; N = 150). We also find that dehumanizing responses in both age groups are associated with stronger perception of outgroup inferiority and a willingness to punish outgroup transgressions. These findings rule out the need for exposure to cultural norms throughout adolescents and adulthood before observing significant outgroup dehumanization.