The notion of dehumanization in psychology focuses on the concept of perceiving or treating someone in the absence of humanity, primarily by denying the notion of personhood, dignity, or worth. It can manifest in subtle forms such as stereotyping or objectification, and in extreme cases, extreme violence, discrimination, and oppression.
For example, during a great onslaught of war or genocide, the victims are often portrayed in the most inhuman or mechanistic way. This serves to facilitate the aggressor’s acceptance of cruelty toward the victims. In day to day activities, dehumanization can occur in the workplace context where employees are reduced to mere machines and treated as objectives, or more simply, as a means to an end.
Psychological research suggests the act of dehumanization correlates with a lack of concern for the victim as a true human, and therefore, is more acceptable to act in harmful ways. It is often taken for granted in cases of prejudice and varying social powers, and social psychological people. Recent advances in neuroscience even indicate that dehumanization is accomplished with lower functioning in brain areas associated with the moral boundaries of civilization. Although these impacts are harmful, the humanization process, the act of describing and treating someone as a person, can alleviate the most extreme consequences. All in all, the psychological effect of dehumanization can advance injustice, but it also reveals the need for compassion and social unity.