Does growing up rich and insecure make objects seem more human? Childhood material and social environments interact to predict anthropomorphism

Despite broad, multi-disciplinary interest in the phenomenon of anthropomorphism, the psychological determinants of individual differences in anthropomorphic tendencies remain largely unaddressed. In an effort to address this gap, this research investigates the relationship between childhood material and social environments and adult anthropomorphic tendencies. Specifically, we hypothesize that people who grew up wealthy and insecurely attached are the most likely to anthropomorphize because of their simultaneously high needs for effectance and sociality. Consistent with this prediction, three studies find that people with high childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and insecure attachment styles are the most likely to anthropomorphize. Furthermore, in support of our theorizing, we show that childhood SES interacts with attachment style to predict anthropomorphic tendencies because the parents of those who grew up wealthy tended to use a family communication style that emphasized autonomy and mastery. Ultimately, our findings suggest that individual differences in adult anthropomorphic tendencies are rooted in childhood environments. •Adult anthropomorphic tendencies are associated with childhood environments.•Childhood SES and attachment style interact to predict anthropomorphism.•People who grow up wealthy and insecure are most likely to anthropomorphize.•Concept-oriented communication style explains the effect of childhood SES.