Childhood maltreatment and the attribution of humanizing traits to self and others: The mediating role of the dark personality traits

Abstract

Dehumanization is an important psychological phenomenon because it is so common but so dire in its consequences. The present study examined direct and indirect associations of childhood maltreatment and self- or other-dehumanization via dark personality traits among 658 adolescents. We demonstrated for the first time retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment predicted conceptualizing self or others as lacking in human attributes. Victims of childhood maltreatment would be more likely to develop dark personality traits. Moreover, Machiavellianism and psychopathy partially mediated the associations between childhood maltreatment and self- or other-dehumanization, whereas the predictive effect of narcissism for dehumanization was not significant. Our results suggested the possible role of dehumanization in the negative effects of childhood maltreatment should be examined in following studies.