Research shows high self-control is seen as dehumanizing

July 19, 2022 Purdue News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —

Most of us know — and likely have envied — a list-making, highly productive co-worker who is quietly on task. As the epitome of self-restraint, this low-key colleague meets or beats every deadline without a hint of drama.

But even as we admire these co-workers’ discipline and self-control, it’s possible — even likely — that we aren’t seeking them out to join us for lunch or to socialize after work.

Purdue University-led research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science has found people who are perceived as high or very high in self-control tend to be viewed as more robotic than those with less self-control. This robotic dehumanization was linked to perceptions that these people are less warm and sociable than others

More information can be read on the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences website.

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