The Impact Of Power Stability On Dehumanization

Dehumanization is the perception of loss or negative perception of human nature,and human being is treated as object or animal.Therefore,it poses a threat to the maintenance of human values and dignity.In recent years,the domestic and foreign researches mainly investigated the impact of perceived power on dehumanization,and found that the highpowerful individual tends to increase dehumanization,that is,he is inclined to see others as object or animal.However,in the previous researches,the definition of perceived power is limited to the manipulation of the size of perceived power(whether power exists or the size of power),that is,the previous research has been investigated from a static perspective.In fact,the individual power is not fixed,but in the constant dynamic change in social life.Research was found that the stability of power can moderate the impact of power on cognitive processes.Accordingly,the study speculated that the stability of the power may also moderate the influence of power on dehumanization.In order to test this conjecture,the present study,which contained two studies and four experiments,systematically examined the effects of power stability on dehumanization to clarify the relationship between power positions(high or low),the stability of the power(stability or unstability)and dehumanization(self and other).The two studies explored the effects of power stability on the dehumanization of self,partner,and others using random and performance manner which were adopted in previous studies to manipulate the power and the stability of the power.The main conclusions were as follows:(1)When power positions are stable,high power individual mechanistically and animalistically dehumanize others,and low power individuals humanize others,especially uniquely human trait.(2)When power positions are unstable,low power individuals mechanistically and animalistically dehumanize partner and the average person,especially the latter.The conclusion of this study is conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between power and dehumanization.This research is a great expansion of the study of power and dehumanization,and has an important theoretical value.In addition,in practical perspective,the conclusions of this study give a warning to the high power individuals,and widen the channel of low power or no power individuals,and it helps to improve the relationship between high power and low power individuals;The mechanism of power allocation,which is set up,can effectively weaken dehumanization of high power individuals.