The impact of social power on the evaluation of offensive jokes

Hans Knegtmans; Wilco W. Van Dijk; Marlon Mooijman; Nina Van Lier; Sacha Rintjema; Annemieke Wassink

doi:10.1515/humor-2017-0106

The impact of social power on the evaluation of offensive jokes

Hans Knegtmans, Wilco W. Van Dijk^*, Marlon Mooijman, Nina Van Lier, Sacha Rintjema, Annemieke Wassink

^*Corresponding author for this work

Management and Organizations

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current research examined whether social power affects what people find funny. In two experiments, participants' psychological state of social power was experimentally manipulated and their evaluations of offensive jokes were assessed. Results showed that participants in a psychological state of high power-as compared to low power-evaluated offensive jokes as less inappropriate, less offensive, and funnier. Mediation analyses showed that power increased the funniness of offensive jokes through decreasing the perceived inappropriateness of these jokes. Implications for research on power and humor are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	85-104
Number of pages	20
Journal	Humor
Volume	31
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2017-0106
State	Published - Jan 26 2018

Keywords

benign violation theory
offensive jokes
power
social psychology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Language and Linguistics
Sociology and Political Science
Psychology(all)
Linguistics and Language

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AU - Rintjema, Sacha

AU - Wassink, Annemieke

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AB - The current research examined whether social power affects what people find funny. In two experiments, participants' psychological state of social power was experimentally manipulated and their evaluations of offensive jokes were assessed. Results showed that participants in a psychological state of high power-as compared to low power-evaluated offensive jokes as less inappropriate, less offensive, and funnier. Mediation analyses showed that power increased the funniness of offensive jokes through decreasing the perceived inappropriateness of these jokes. Implications for research on power and humor are discussed.

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The impact of social power on the evaluation of offensive jokes

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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