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Teasing: for superiority or solidarity?
Sarah L Tragesser1, Louis G Lippman
1Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA. sarah@tragesser.net
The Journal of General Psychology
|July 14, 2005
Summary
Humor can sometimes be used for competition rather than bonding among friends. This study found that perceived teasing in social situations often led to feelings of superiority, supporting competitive humor perspectives.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Humor is commonly viewed as a friendship-building tool.
- However, humor can also serve as a competitive mechanism, fostering social hierarchies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the competitive aspects of humor in peer interactions.
- To examine emotional and social perceptions when individuals are targets of teasing.
Main Methods:
- Participants imagined being the target of a peer's remark, with conditions varying between teasing and non-teasing.
- Emotional reactions, relationship perceptions, and attributed character traits were measured.
Main Results:
- Perceived competitiveness, emotional responses, and expected social outcomes supported humor's role in establishing superiority.
- Teasing, as a form of humor, was linked to perceptions of dominance.
Conclusions:
- Humor, particularly teasing, can function as a competitive social strategy.
- Findings suggest that humor's impact on relationships can be complex, involving both bonding and competition.