ABSTRACT
Animism and anthropomorphism are conceptually close: both imply the presence of life-like or human-like characteristics in nonhuman or inanimate objects. A more mundane interpretation is reflected in purchasers’ imparting lifelike qualities to consumer products, for instance perceiving a certain car as an embodiment of love. Animism, they claim, referring as an example to the transmutation of the animated brooms in the early Walt Disney film Fantasia from willing helpers to conspiring killers, is a visible embodiment of cognitive processes related to making dispositional attributions about other humans. These ease the process of divesting groups of humans—including entire cultures—of their human characteristics, while also activating the amygdala, making them easier to hate and kill. Collect examples of characters and objects that reflect animism in both children and adults. A search for violent animation across cultures, in gaming and elsewhere, should be an interesting voyage.
