Shadows of Humanity: Interplay of Sensation Seeking, Deviant Associations, and Alienation in Predicting Dehumanization

Abstract

Dehumanization is the tendency to regard others as lacking the attributes of a full human, shaping how we treat people. This research examined whether sensation seeking, deviant association, and social alienation predict dehumanization. A data set of 354 individuals (prisoners, drug rehabilitation, college, and online) was obtained after they completed measures of sensation seeking, deviant association, social alienation, and dehumanization. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression. Sensation seeking (r = .238, p < .01), deviant association (r = .280, p < .01), and social alienation (r = .345, p < .01) were all significantly and positively correlated with dehumanization. Sensation seeking (p < .001, β = .254), deviant association (p < .001, β = .255), and social alienation (p < .01, β = .200) were all found to be significant. The results indicate that dehumanization is associated with individual dispositions as well as social experiences, specifically, with need for stimulation, association with deviant peers, and sense of social disconnection, and suggest that it is beneficial to adopt a psychological and social perspective on dehumanization.