{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,6]],"date-time":"2025-11-06T18:44:52Z","timestamp":1762454692409,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,6]],"date-time":"2025-11-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762387200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Dehumanization of stigmatized groups is a pressing social challenge, and to effectively address it, we must understand how it arises. Here, we identify social-cognitive antecedents of a subtle form of dehumanization known as\n                    <jats:italic>demeaning<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2014which occurs when a target\u2019s \u201cuniquely human\u201d psychological needs (e.g., for meaning in life) are downplayed relative to their physiological needs shared with other animals. We study how demeaning arises by leveraging the Agent-Deed-Consequence (ADC) framework of moral cognition, which posits that perceptions of an Agent\u2019s Deeds, and the Consequences of these Deeds, independently shape perceptions of the Agent\u2019s moral character. Because morality is fundamental to perceptions of humanity, we reasoned that the perception of (im) moral character, in turn, would impact demeaning (i.e., downplaying the Agent\u2019s psychological needs). We support this notion in a vignette experiment in a context where stigma is rampant and crucially understudied\u2014Iran. Participants (\n                    <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u2009272) evaluated a stigmatized Agent\u2014an HIV-positive individual with a history of addiction. We varied the Agent\u2019s Deed (deceiving partner vs. being honest with a partner) and its Consequence (infecting partner with disease vs not) in a 2 x 2 design. Indeed, a negative Deed and Consequence led to greater perceived immorality. Immorality, in turn, influenced perceptions of the Agent\u2019s \u201cuniquely human\u201d needs, but not their \u201clower\u201d physiological needs shared with animals. Moreover, our Iranian participants\u2019 perceptions of what is a \u201cuniquely human\u201d need differ from those in previous Western samples, underscoring the need for further investigation into the sociocultural forces influencing dehumanization.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0335525","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,6]],"date-time":"2025-11-06T18:40:15Z","timestamp":1762454415000},"page":"e0335525","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Moral violations lead to demeaning: Non-disclosure of HIV undermines perceived psychological needs"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-0536-5782","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Alireza","family":"Taqipanahi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Morteza Erfani","family":"Haromi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fatemeh","family":"Shahri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1579-7326","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Alexander","family":"Landry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Seyed Nima","family":"Orazani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,6]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0335525.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"835","DOI":"10.1111\/jasp.12971","article-title":"When dehumanization does (and does not) matter: Exploring the relationship between social justice motivations, avoidant behaviors, and intentions to help individuals experiencing homelessness","volume":"53","author":"BM Tausen","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Applied Social Pyschol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0335525.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"644","DOI":"10.1177\/01461672231207952","article-title":"Biased Beliefs About White Releasees\u2019 Sensitivity to Social Pain","volume":"51","author":"SR Pejic","year":"2025","journal-title":"Pers Soc Psychol Bull"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0335525.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1186\/s13011-020-00288-0","article-title":"Stigma: how it affects the substance use disorder patient","volume":"15","author":"J Zwick","year":"2020","journal-title":"Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0335525.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1027\/1864-9335\/a000159","article-title":"Dehumanization and Social Class","volume":"45","author":"S Loughnan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Social Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0335525.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/cogs.13089","article-title":"\u201cThey\u2019re Not True Humans:\u201d Beliefs about Moral Character Drive Denials of Humanity","volume":"46","author":"B Phillips","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cogn Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0335525.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2013.12.005","article-title":"The essential moral self","volume":"131","author":"N Strohminger","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cognition"},{"key":"pone.0335525.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-010213-115045","article-title":"Dehumanization and infrahumanization","volume":"65","author":"N Haslam","year":"2014","journal-title":"Annu Rev Psychol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0335525.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1027\/1864-9335\/a000352","article-title":"The Central Role of Morality in Perceived Humanness and Unselfish Behaviors","volume":"49","author":"F Prati","year":"2018","journal-title":"Social Psychology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0335525.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1111\/bjso.12114","article-title":"Bad guys suffer less (social pain): Moral status influences judgements of others\u2019 social suffering","volume":"55","author":"P Riva","year":"2016","journal-title":"Br J Soc Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0335525.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4612-3582-8_8","article-title":"Delegitimization: The Extreme Case of Stereotyping and Prejudice","author":"D Bar-Tal","year":"1989","journal-title":"Stereotyping and Prejudice. 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