Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Next article
Original Communication

Controlled Motivational Orientation and Prejudice

The Mediating Role of Dehumanization

Published Online:March 22, 2016https://doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185/a000171

Abstract

Abstract. This research investigates the effect of controlled versus autonomous motivation on intergroup relations. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 (N = 152 Greek Cypriot undergraduate students) showed that controlled motivational orientation, measured as a personality variable, was related to more prejudicial beliefs toward outgroups, lower intrinsic motives for contact, less desire for contact, and less actual contact with outgroups. Study 2 (N = 93 Greek Cypriot undergraduate students) experimentally replicated the findings of Study 1, revealing that controlled motivation, manipulated as a social/situational variable, was related to a higher level of prejudice toward outgroups, less intrinsic motives for contact with outgroups, and less desire for contact with outgroups. Most importantly, these relationships were mediated by dehumanization (i.e., denial of uniquely human traits) of the outgroup. The findings highlight the role of interpersonal control as an important factor determining the quality of intergroup relations.

References

  • Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. J., & Sanford, R. N. (1950). The authoritarian personality. New York: Harper. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Altemeyer, B. (1998). The other “authoritarian personality.” In M. P. ZannaEd., Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 30, pp. 47–92). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Amodio, D. M., Harmon-Jones, E., & Devine, P. G. (2003). Individual differences in the activation and control of affective race bias as assessed by startle eyeblink responses and self-report. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 738–753. doi 10.1037/ 0022-3514.84.4.738 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Assor, A., Vansteenkiste, M., & Kaplan, A. (2009). Identified versus introjected approach and introjected avoidance motivations in school and in sports: The limited benefits of self-worth strivings. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 482–497. doi 10.1037/ a0014236 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bäckström, M., Björklund, F., Hansson, S. B., Bern, D., & Westerlund, B. (2005). What makes some persons more prejudiced than others? Modeling the role of social dominance, empathy, social desirability, and gender (Lund Psychological Reports No. 833614). Retrieved from http://lup.lub.lu.se/record/833614 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 364–374. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.364 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bar-Tal, D. (2000). Shared beliefs in a society: Social psychological analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bastian, B., & Haslam, N. (2010). Excluded from humanity: The dehumanising effects of social ostracism. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 107–113. doi 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.06.022 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Batson, C. D., Sager, K., Garst, E., Kang, M., Rubchinsky, K., & Dawson, K. (1997). Is empathy-induced helping due to self-other merging? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 495–509. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.73.3.495 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Brown, R., Condor, S., Mathews, A., Wade, G., & Williams, J. (1986). Explaining intergroup differentiation in an industrial organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 59, 279–304. doi 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1986.tb00230.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Brown, R., Eller, A., Leeds, S., & Stace, K. (2007). Intergroup contact and intergroup attitudes: A longitudinal study. European Journal of Social Psychology, 3, 692–703. doi 10.1002/ejsp.384 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Brown, R., & Hewstone, M. (2005). An integrative theory of intergroup contact. In M. P. ZannaEd., Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 37, pp. 255–343). San Diego, CA: Elsevier. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Capozza, D., Trifiletti, E., Vezzali, L., & Favara, I. (2013). Can contact improve humanity attributions? International Journal of Psychology, 4, 527–554. doi 10.1080/00207594.2012.688132 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cohrs, J. C., & Asbrock, F. (2009). Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation and prejudice against threatening and competitive ethnic groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 270–289. doi 10.1002/ejsp.545 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Crisp, R. J., & Turner, R. N. (2009). Can imagined interactions produce positive perceptions? Reducing prejudice through simulated social contact. American Psychologist, 64, 231–240. doi 10.1037/a0014718 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deci, E. L., Eghrari, H., Patrick, B. C., & Leone, D. R. (1994). Facilitating internalization: The self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Personality, 62, 119–142. doi 10.1111/j.1467-6494. 1994.tb00797.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The General Causality Orientations Scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19, 109–134. doi 10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why“”of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268. doi 10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life’s domains. Canadian Psychology, 49, 14–23. doi 10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Devine, P. G., Plant, E. A., Amodio, D. M., Harmon-Jones, E., & Vance, S. L. (2002). The regulation of explicit and implicit race bias: The role of motivations to respond without prejudice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 835–848. doi 10.1037//0022-3514.82.5.835 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Dovidio, J. F., Eller, A., & Hewstone, M. (2011). Improving intergroup relations through direct, extended and other forms of indirect contact. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 14, 147–160. doi 10.1177/1368430210390555 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Duriez, B. (2011). Understanding the effects of parental extrinsic versus intrinsic goal promotion on adolescent ethnic prejudice. Journal of Social Psychology, 151, 441–454. doi 10.1080/00224545.2010.490571 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Duriez, B., Van Hiel, A., & Kossowska, M. (2005). Authoritarianism and social dominance in Western and Eastern Europe: The importance of the sociopolitical context and of political interest and involvement. Political Psychology, 26, 299–320. doi 10.1111/j.1467-9221.2005.00419.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Duriez, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., & De Witte, H. (2007). The social costs of extrinsic relative to intrinsic goal pursuits: Their relation with social dominance and racial and ethnic prejudice. Journal of Personality, 75, 757–782. doi 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2007.00456.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ford, W. S. (1986). Favorable intergroup contact may not reduce prejudice: Inconclusive journal evidence 1960–1984. Sociology and Social Research, 70, 256–258. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Haslam, N. (2006). Dehumanization: An integrative review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 252–264. doi 10.1207/ s15327957pspr1003_4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Henry, P. J., & Sears, D. O. (2002). The Symbolic Racism 2000 Scale. Political Psychology, 23, 253–283. doi 10.1111/0162-895X.00281 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hodgins, H. S. (2010, May). Dividing the social world into “us” and “them”: An implicit cognitive process related to motivation and threat. Invited talk presented at the Fourth International Self-Determination Theory conference, Ghent, Belgium.. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Janney, R., Snell, M., Beers, M., & Raynes, M. (1995). Integrating students with moderate and severe disabilities: Classroom teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about implementing an educational change. Educational Administration Quarterly, 31, 86–114. doi 10.1177/0013161X95031001006 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Jonas, E., & Fritsche, I. (2013). Destined to die but not to wage war: How existential threat can contribute to escalation or de-escalation of violent intergroup conflict. American Psychologist, 68, 543–558. doi 10.1037/a0033052. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lammers, J., & Stapel, D. A. (2011). Power increases dehumanization. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 14, 113–126. doi 10.1177/1368430210370042 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Legault, L., Green-Demers, I., & Eadie, A. L. (2009). When internalization leads to automatization: The role of self-determination in automatic stereotype suppression and implicit prejudice regulation. Motivation and Emotion, 33, 10–24. doi 10.1007/s11031-008-9110-4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Legault, L., Green-Demers, I., Grant, P., & Chung, J. (2007). On the self-regulation of implicit and explicit prejudice: A self-determination perspective. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 732–749. doi 10.1177/0146167206298564 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Legault, L., Gutsell, J. N., & Inzlicht, M. (2011). Ironic effects of anti-prejudice messages: How motivational intervention reduces (but also increases) prejudice. Psychological Science, 22, 1472–1477. doi 10.1177/0956797611427918 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Moller, A. C., & Deci, E. L. (2010). Interpersonal control, dehumanization, and violence: A self-determination theory perspective. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 13, 41–53. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Neyrinck, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Duriez, B., & Hutsebaut, D. (2006). Cognitive, affective and behavioral correlates of internalization of regulations for religious activities. Motivation and Emotion, 30, 321–332. doi 10.1007/s11031-006-9048-3 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An overview. Journal of Social Issues, 46, 1–20. doi 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1990. tb00268.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Pittman, R. S., Davey, M. E., Alafat, K. A., Wetherill, K. V., & Kramer, N. A. (1980). Informational versus controlling verbal rewards. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39, 228–233. doi 10.1177/014616728062007 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Plant, E. A., Devine, P. G., & Peruche, M. B. (2010). Routes to positive interracial interactions: Approaching egalitarianism or avoiding prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 1135–1147. doi 10.1177/0146167210378018 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., Stallworth, L. M., & Malle, B. F. (1994). Social dominance orientation: A personality variable predicting social and political attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 741–763. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.67.4.741 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Preacher, K. J., & Kelley, K. (2011). Effect size measures for mediation models: Quantitative strategies for communicating indirect effects. Psychological Methods, 16, 93–115. doi 10.1037/ a0022658 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Reeve, J., Jang, H., Carrell, D., Jeon, S., & Barch, J. (2004). Enhancing high school students’ engagement by increasing their teachers’ autonomy support. Motivation and Emotion, 28, 147–169. doi 10.1023/B:MOEM.0000032312.95499.6f First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ryan, R. M. (1982). Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 450–461. doi 10.1037/ 0022-3514.43.3.450 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ryan, R. M., & Connell, J. P. (1989). Perceived locus of causality and internalization: Examining reasons for acting in two domains. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 749–761. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78. doi 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sakalaki, M., & Fousiani, K. (2012). About some personality misfortunes of opportunists: The negative correlation of economic defection with autonomy, agreeableness and well-being. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42, 471–487. doi 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00780.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sheldon, K. M., & Filak, V. (2008). Manipulating autonomy, competence, and relatedness in a game-learning context: New evidence that all three needs matter. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 267–283. doi 10.1348/014466607X238797 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Stephan, W. G., & Stephan, C. W. (1985). Intergroup anxiety. Journal of Social Issues, 41, 157–175. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Tausch, N., Hewstone, M., Kenworthy, J., Psaltis, C., Schmid, K., Popan, J., ... Hughes, J. (2010). Secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact: Alternative accounts and underlying processes. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 99, 282–302. doi 10.1037/a0018553 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Van Hiel, A., Roets, A., & Cornelis, I. (2010). To have or to be? A comparison of materialism-based theories and self determination theory as explanatory frameworks of prejudice. Journal of Personality, 78, 1037–1070. doi 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00642.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vansteenkiste, M., Mouratidis, A., & Lens, W. (2010). Detaching reasons from aims: Fair play and well-being in soccer as a function of pursuing performance-approach goals for autonomous or controlling reasons. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 32, 217–242. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vezzali, L., Capozza, D., Stathi, S., & Giovannini, D. (2012). Increasing outgroup trust, reducing infrahumanization, and enhancing future contact intentions via imagined intergroup contact. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48, 437–440. doi 10.1016/j.jesp.2011.09.008 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Waytz, A., Epley, N., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Social cognition unbound: Insights into anthropomorphism and dehumanization. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 58–62. doi 10.1177/096372140935930 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar