Science of Emotion and Sensibility (감성과학)

Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility (한국감성과학회)
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If I Only Have My Cat in This World: Impacts of Loneliness on Anthropomorphism and Dehumanization

이 세상에 내 고양이만 있으면: 외로움이 의인화 및 비인간화에 주는 영향

  • Received : 2020.02.15
  • Accepted : 2020.03.12
  • Published : 2020.06.30
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Abstract

Loneliness is an unpleasant experience due to the human need for social connection. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to nonhuman entities. The inverse process of anthropomorphism is dehumanization in which individuals treat humans like animals or objects. Two studies were conducted to investigate whether relationships exist among loneliness, anthropomorphism, and dehumanization. In Study 1, loneliness was measured via self-reports, and an anthropomorphism task was introduced to examine the extent to which subjective experiences of loneliness related to the tendency to describe nonhuman agents with humanlike characteristics. According to the results, lonelier participants attributed more humanlike capacities to computers and cats. Study 2 examined whether significant differences emerged in anthropomorphism and dehumanization between the experimental condition of loneliness and the control condition. After having been induced to the emotion of loneliness using an experimental writing task, the participants tended to perceive nonhuman agents to be more humanlike in the condition of loneliness than in the control condition. Moreover, there was a stronger tendency of dehumanization toward other humans in the condition of loneliness than in the control condition. There was also higher levels of negatively biased perceptions of neighborhood characteristics. This scenario implies that anthropomorphism is related to sociality motivation, which is the need for social connection through establishing bonds with nonhumans, and may result in the dehumanization and emotional experiences of other humans.

외로움은 사회적 연결 욕구가 충족되지 못할 때 갖게 되는 고통스러운 경험이다. 의인화는 동물이나 무생물(예: 컴퓨터)에게 인간의 속성을 부여하는 것인데 비해, 비인간화(dehumanization)는 의인화와 반대되는 과정으로서, 인간을 동물이나 무생물로 인식하는 것이다. 본 연구의 목적은 외로움, 사회적 연결욕구 및 의인화의 관계를 분석하고, 외로움이 의인화, 외집단의 비인간화에 끼치는 영향을 검증하는데 있다. 연구 1에서는 외로움, 사회적 연결욕구 및 의인화의 관계를 분석하고자 외로움 질문지와 의인화과제를 실시하였다. 그 결과 참가자가 외로움을 강하게 느낄수록 컴퓨터와 동물에 대한 의인화의 경향이 더 뚜렷하게 나타났다. 연구 2에서는 실험상황에서 작문과제를 통해 연구참가자들에게 외로움의 정서를 유도한 후, 통제조건에 비해 의인화, 비인간화의 경향 및 이웃에 대한 신뢰감에서 차이가 나타나는지를 비교하였다. 그 결과, 외로움의 조건에서 통제조건보다 의인화, 비인간화 및 이웃에 대한 부정적 정서가 유의하게 더 높게 나타났다. 이 결과는 동물과 무생물에 대한 의인화는 외로움을 해결하기 위한 사회적 연결욕구와 관계가 있으며, 외로움은 다른 인간에 대한 비인간화 및 이웃에 대한 비호감에 영향을 끼칠 가능성을 시사한다.

Keywords

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