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Dehumanization and self-reported proclivity to torture prisoners of war.

Viki, G. Tendayi, Osgood, Daniel, Phillips, Sabine (2013) Dehumanization and self-reported proclivity to torture prisoners of war. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49 (3). pp. 325-328. ISSN 0022-1031. (doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2012.11.006) (KAR id:35372)

Abstract

Several authors have argued that dehumanization may be the psychological process that underlies people's willingness to torture outgroup members. In the current research, we directly examined this question among Christian participants, with Muslims as the target outgroup. Across two studies, we found that to the extent that Christians dehumanized Muslims, they were more likely to self-report the willingness to torture Muslim prisoners of war. We also found that perceiving Muslims as a threat moderated the relationship between dehumanization and the self-reported proclivity to torture. These findings support the propositions made by previous authors on the role of dehumanization in torture, war and genocide.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.jesp.2012.11.006
Uncontrolled keywords: Dehumanization; Torture; Violence; War; Ingroup; Outgroup
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: M.L. Barnoux
Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2013 11:03 UTC
Last Modified: 08 Dec 2022 18:22 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/35372 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Viki, G. Tendayi.

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