Seven Clarifications on the Psychology of Dehumanization

Abstract

Over (2021; this issue) proposes seven challenges to the body of psychological research and theory on dehumanization that has flourished over the past two decades. As scholars who have contributed to this work, we believe her critique attacks an unrecognizable straw man that misinterprets its theoretical claims and ignores much of the empirical literature. Here we present seven arguments that clarify the role of dehumanization in social perception. These arguments do not align with Over’s challenges one-to-one but rebut them collectively.