When the lens is too wide: The political consequences of the visual dehumanization of refugees

This study investigates how the visual depiction of refugees in Western media, predominantly as large, unidentifiable groups, affects their dehumanization and influences political attitudes. Ten studies with 3951 European participants demonstrate that images of large groups lead to greater implicit and explicit dehumanization compared to images of small groups. This dehumanization correlates with increased support for more dominant political leaders and anti-refugee policies, while decreasing support for pro-refugee policies. The researchers propose that feelings of pity mediate the impact of visual framing on the choice of authoritarian leaders.

Ruben T. Azevedo, Sophie De Beukelaer, Isla L. Jones, Lou Safra, Manos Tsakiris