Impact of economic inequality on national stereotypes and dehumanization

  1. Alba Álamo-Hernández 1
  2. Verónica Betancor-Rodríguez 1
  3. Armando Rodríguez-Pérez 1
  1. 1 Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Spain)
Journal:
Psychology, Society & Education

ISSN: 1989-709X 2171-2085

Year of publication: 2024

Volume: 16

Issue: 2

Pages: 11-20

Type: Article

DOI: 10.21071/PSE.V16I2.17069 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

More publications in: Psychology, Society & Education

Abstract

La investigación en percepción social ha revelado que las personas tienden a construir imágenes mentales de grupos nacionales. Muchas investigaciones se ha dirigido a explorar la inf luencia de variables contextuales relevantes, como la desigualdad económica, en estas representaciones. El propósito de este estudio es investigar cómo la desigualdad económica afecta a dos elementos clave de la percepción social: las dimensiones estereotípicas de competencia, sociabilidad y moralidad, y la humanidad atribuida a los habitantes de países con alta o baja desigualdad económica. Se seleccionaron países con desigualdad económica objetiva alta y baja, y se preguntó a los participantes en qué medida consideraban a los habitantes competentes, sociables y morales. Se preguntó en qué medida les atribuían humanidad y capacidad de experimentar emociones y sentimientos. Se empleó una muestra española (N = 245). Los resultados mostraron que existe un patrón ambivalente en el que se atribuye mayor competencia y menor sociabilidad a naciones con baja desigualdad, mientras que lo contrario sucedía para las naciones con alta desigualdad; y se encontró una tendencia significativa a atribuir más moralidad a las naciones con baja desigualdad que a aquellas con alta desigualdad. Un análisis de mediación paralela mostró que únicamente la moralidad inf luía significativamente en el efecto de la desigualdad económica en la atribución de humanidad. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en la atribución de humanidad, pero no en la atribución de capacidad para experimentar sentimientos. Estos resultados se discuten teniendo en cuenta el Modelo de Contenido de los Estereotipos y la justificación del sistema.

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