Abstract -------- According to the dual model, outgroup members can be dehumanised by being thought to possess uniquely and characteristically human traits to a lesser extent than ingroup members. However, previous research on this topic has tended to investigate the attribution of human traits that are socially desirable in nature such as warmth, civility and rationality. As a result, it has not yet been possible to determine whether this form of dehumanisation is distinct from intergroup preference and stereotyping. We first establish that participants associate undesirable (e.g., corrupt, jealous) as well as desirable (e.g., open-minded, generous) traits with humans. We then go on to show that participants tend to attribute desirable human traits more strongly to ingroup members but undesirable human traits more strongly to outgroup members. This pattern holds across three different intergroup contexts for which dehumanisation effects have previously been reported: political opponents, immigrants and criminals. Taken together, these studies cast doubt on the claim that a trait-based account of representing others as ‘less human’ holds explanatory power in the study of intergroup bias. Links to pre-registration files for each study ---------------------------------------------- Pretest 1 (measuring the humanness of character traits across different comparisons) - https://aspredicted.org/yc7e9.pdf Pretest 2 (measuring the desirability of character traits) - https://aspredicted.org/ns4hx.pdf Experiment 1a - https://aspredicted.org/kz6ar.pdf Experiment 1b - https://aspredicted.org/vc29u.pdf Experiment 1c - https://aspredicted.org/3nz8e.pdf Experiment 2a - https://aspredicted.org/e9vj3.pdf Experiment 2b - https://aspredicted.org/v46re.pdf Experiment 3a - https://aspredicted.org/e2q7a.pdf Experiment 3b - https://aspredicted.org/fb8m7.pdf