Abstract:
Research implies that there ~ay be an association between attitudes toward margil1alized
human outgroups and non-human animals. Very few studies, however, have specifically
tested this relation empirically. The general purpose of the present research was to
determine if such a relation exists and if perceptions of human-animal similarity avail as
a common predictor of both types of attitudes. Ideological orientations associated with
prejudiced attitudes (Social Dominance Orientation, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, and
Universal Orientation) were also examined as individual differences in predicting
perceptions of human-animal similarity. As predicted, people who endorsed prejudiced
attitudes toward human outgroups (Study 1) and immigrants in particular (Studies 2 and
3), were more likely to endorse prejudiced attitudes toward non-human animals. In Study
2, perceptions that humans are superior (versus similar) to other animals directly
predicted higher levels of prejudice toward non-human animals, whereas the effect of
human superiority beliefs on immigrant prejudice was mediated by dehumanization. In
other words, greater perceptions of humans as superior (versus similar) to other animals
"allowed for" greater dehumanization of immigrants, which in turn resulted in heightened
immigrant prejudice. Furthermore, people higher in Social Dominance Orientation or
Right-Wing Authoritarianism were particularly likely to perceive humans as superior
(versus similar) to other animals, whereas people characterized by a greater Universal
Orientation were more likely to perceive humans and non-human animals as similar.
Study 3 examined whether inducing perceptions of human-animal similarity through
experimental manipulation would lead to more favourable attitudes toward non-human
animals and immigrants. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four
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editorials designed to highlight either the similarities or differences between humans and
other animals (i.e., animals are similar to humans; humans are similar to animals;~~nimals
are inferior to humans; humans are superior to animals) or to a neutral control condition.
Encouragingly, when animals were described as similar to humans, prejudice towards
non-human animals and immigrants was significantly lower, and to some extent this
finding was also true for people naturally high in prejudice (i.e., high in Social
Dominance Orientation or Right-Wing Authoritarianism). Inducing perceptions that nonhuman
animals are similar to humans was particularly effective at reducing the tendency
to dehumanize immigrants ("re-humanization"), lowering feelings of personal threat
regarding one's animal-nature, and at increasing inclusive intergroup representations and
empathy, all of which uniquely accounted for the significant decreases in prejudiced
attitudes. Implications for research, theory and prejudice interventions are considered.
