Michelle Maiese defines dehumanization as the act of perceiving or treating individuals as less than human, often by denying them traits like rationality, moral worth, or emotional depth. She argues that this process is driven by psychological mechanisms like stereotyping, "othering," and deindividuation, which are often fueled by emotions such as anger, disgust, or fear. These cognitive and emotional processes enable moral disengagement, allowing individuals or groups to justify harmful actions by stripping their targets of empathy and ethical consideration.

Dehumanizing language often follows specific patterns, such as expressing an extremely negative view of a particular group, denying the group's members the ability to engage in fundamental human experiences like reasoning or feeling emotional pain, labeling the group as morally wrong or disgusting, or referring to its members as animals or non-human objects.

Dehumanization tactics can be used by certain leaders through social and cultural narratives that depict certain groups as dangerous or inferior. This dynamic can have devastating effects, undermining the dignity and agency of victims while perpetuating systemic oppression. However, Maiese suggests that dehumanization can be countered through fostering empathy, recognizing shared humanity, and dismantling divisive narratives. Practices like education and dialogue are vital for rebuilding ethical connections and preventing the harm that arises when people are stripped of their humanity.

David Livingstone Smith suggests that fighting dehumanization must happen at both the individual and social level. The first step involves recognizing and countering the inclination to dehumanize within ourselves, which he contends is not an innate trait. The second step calls for actively opposing dehumanization within societal and political frameworks.

Some research, like a study conducted by Armando Rodríguez et al., suggests that we tend to lend what's called secondary or human-specific emotions like guilt, shame, pride, and nostalgia—as opposed to primary emotions felt by both humans and animals, like joy, anger, and fear—more easily to members of our in-group than to those of an out-group. In other words, we may sometimes be biaised into thinking that members outside of our own groups don't have as much emotional depth as we do.