File this under "Well, duh!"

A recent article from Discovery Channel news reports that stereotypes dehumanize the people they're applied to. Wow. Really? Who'd've thunk?

In a study, psychology students were asked to list some "uniquely human traits."

These traits, generally believed to distinguish us from other animals, were linked with civility, moral sensibility, intelligence and rationality.

Those stereotyped thus are at risk of dehumanization.

"Likening a group to animals goes on in everyday perception of other people," he says.

He said children, artists and the elderly all tend to be stereotyped this way.

That's awesome. I consider myself more of the artist-type. Fab for me! I'll be easier to torture, apparently.

Speaking of dehumanization and psychological experiments, if you want to hear an interview with the professor who ran the Stanford Prison Experiment back in 1971, listen here. He's apparently written a new book applying what he learned in that study to life, war and math teachers.

... oh, sorry. Was I dehumanizing there? What can I say? As an artist, I lack civility, rationality and moral sensibility.