| Popis: |
Research on antecedents of dehumanization has exclusively focused on intra- and inter-personal factors. In the current research, we examined whether cultural tightness (i.e., strengths of social norms and punishments of deviant behaviors), a macro-cultural factor, could result in dehumanization in the United States. Six studies employing mixed methods were conducted. Using ecological data, we showed that tightness could predict dehumanization both cross-sectionally (i.e., across 50 states, Study 1) and longitudinally (i.e., 1800–2000 CE, Study 2). A quasi-experiment using employees from a tight corporate culture (i.e., finance) versus a loose one (i.e., high-tech) replicated the finding (Study 3). Controlled experiments using different manipulation methods for cultural tightness further demonstrated a direct causal relationship from tightness to dehumanization (Studies 4–6). In addition, such a relation was mediated by an avoidance motivation (Studies 5 and 6). Implications were discussed. |
