Scholarlink

<p>Maladaptive cognition has been demonstrated as the mediator in the association between childhood maltreatment and increased aggression. Dehumanization refers to the perception or belief that self (i.e., self-dehumanization) or others (i.e., other-dehumanization) are less than human. The present study aims to test whether self- and other-dehumanization, as maladaptive cognition about self and others, might account for this association. In study 1, 518 undergraduate students (age: M ± SD = 19.39 ± 0.89) were selected by convenient sampling and completed self-reported questionnaires. The relations were further tested in the social exclusion situation in study 2. We invited 136 college students (age: M ± SD = 18.95 ± 0.80) randomly to play the Cyberball game. Once the game finished, dehumanization, implicit (Aggressiveness-Implicit Association Test, Agg-IAT) and explicit (the hot sauce paradigm) aggressive behavior were measured. The results demonstrated that in study 1, self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and trait aggression. In study 2, although the correlation between childhood maltreatment and explicit aggressive behavior was not significant, childhood maltreatment correlated with implicit aggressive behavior significantly. Moreover, the mediating effects of self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization between childhood maltreatment and implicit aggressive behavior were both significant. Our findings revealed denying humanness to self and others as a newly discovered mechanism by which childhood maltreatment increases aggression. This provides clinical implications that reducing self- and other-dehumanization might be an important way to attenuate the potential adverse effects of childhood maltreatment.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Dehumanization serves as a potential mechanism by which childhood maltreatment is associated with increased aggression

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月9日

查看全文
  • Zhaocai Jiang,
  • Chengcheng Lv

摘要

Maladaptive cognition has been demonstrated as the mediator in the association between childhood maltreatment and increased aggression. Dehumanization refers to the perception or belief that self (i.e., self-dehumanization) or others (i.e., other-dehumanization) are less than human. The present study aims to test whether self- and other-dehumanization, as maladaptive cognition about self and others, might account for this association. In study 1, 518 undergraduate students (age: M ± SD = 19.39 ± 0.89) were selected by convenient sampling and completed self-reported questionnaires. The relations were further tested in the social exclusion situation in study 2. We invited 136 college students (age: M ± SD = 18.95 ± 0.80) randomly to play the Cyberball game. Once the game finished, dehumanization, implicit (Aggressiveness-Implicit Association Test, Agg-IAT) and explicit (the hot sauce paradigm) aggressive behavior were measured. The results demonstrated that in study 1, self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and trait aggression. In study 2, although the correlation between childhood maltreatment and explicit aggressive behavior was not significant, childhood maltreatment correlated with implicit aggressive behavior significantly. Moreover, the mediating effects of self-dehumanization and other-dehumanization between childhood maltreatment and implicit aggressive behavior were both significant. Our findings revealed denying humanness to self and others as a newly discovered mechanism by which childhood maltreatment increases aggression. This provides clinical implications that reducing self- and other-dehumanization might be an important way to attenuate the potential adverse effects of childhood maltreatment.