The present research investigated whether learning that an outgroup humanizes the ingroup (i.e., meta-humanization) enhances how people react to intergroup prosocial behaviours and their willingness to engage in intergroup contact. In three experiments conducted in two cultural contexts (Kosovo and North Macedonia; n = 601), we manipulated meta-humanization by informing participants that their ingroup is perceived to be as human as the outgroup by outgroup members. We compare this meta-humanization condition with a meta-dehumanization condition in which the participant's ingroup is perceived to be less human than the outgroup (Experiments 1 and 3), a meta-liking condition in which the participant's ingroup is liked as much as the outgroup (Experiment 2), and a control condition (Experiments 1 and 2). Overall, results showed that participants in the meta-humanization condition attributed more empathy and prosocial motives to a potential outgroup helper and were more willing to accept outgroup help and engage in future intergroup contact than participants in the other conditions. In addition, positive perceptions of the outgroup helper mediated the effect of meta-humanization on willingness to accept outgroup help and engage in intergroup contact. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for intergroup relations and reconciliation efforts.

中文翻译：

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元人性化增强了对亲社会跨群体互动的积极反应

本研究调查了了解外群体使内群体人性化（即元人性化）是否会增强人们对群体间亲社会行为的反应以及他们参与群体间接触的意愿。在两个文化背景下（科索沃和北马其顿；n  = 601）进行的三个实验中，我们通过告知参与者他们的内群体被外群体成员认为与外群体一样人性化来操纵元人性化。我们将这种元人性化条件与元去人性化条件进行比较，其中参与者的内群体被认为比外群体更不人性化（实验 1 和 3），一种元喜好参与者的内群体与外群体一样受人喜爱的条件（实验 2）和控制条件（实验 1 和 2）。总体而言，结果表明，元人性化条件下的参与者将更多的同理心和亲社会动机归因于潜在的外群帮助者，并且比其他条件下的参与者更愿意接受外群帮助并参与未来的群际接触。此外，对外群帮手的积极看法介导了元人性化对接受外群帮助和参与群际接触的意愿的影响。我们讨论了这些发现对群体间关系和和解努力的理论和实践意义。