The nature of racial superhumanization bias
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21355147 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Prachi Solanki (0000-0001-9139-2836, Michigan State University, corresponding author), Joseph Cesario (0000-0002-1892-4485, Michigan State University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 164 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 947-963 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Social Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4545 • E-ISSN: 1940-1183 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00224545.2023.2218995 |
| PMID | 37249161 |
| OpenAlex | W4378746386 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 11 |
A superhumanization bias involves attribution of qualities that are beyond human to a certain group. Waytz and colleagues reported evidence supporting this bias among White Americans wherein Black targets were perceived as more capable of possessing superhuman qualities than White targets. We sought to better understand the nature of this effect by using different response scales (forced choice vs. Likert) and instruction sets (supporting vs. not supporting existence of superhuman abilities). Results across three studies replicate the superhumanization effect and demonstrate the necessity of several key methodological features; however, under the most realistic survey conditions (i.e. allowing unbiased decisions, being truthful about the existence of such abilities), no significant superhumanization bias emerged. Additionally, in conditions with significant bias, the size of the effect was relatively small, suggesting that this bias may not be as widespread as previously believed; indeed, only a minority of participants showed superhumanization in the predicted direction. Findings support the importance of exploring how arbitrary methodological decisions change inferences about psychological phenomena in the population
Attribution · Developmental psychology · Likert scale · Political science · Population · Replicate · Response bias · Scholarship · Sociology · Statistics · White (mutation) · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
| Highly cited | No |
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