Most people think they know what sarcasm is and could recognize it if they heard it.
Most people would be wrong.
Sarcasm is one of those areas of human behavior which has historically been a little difficult to study. But psychologists and researchers have gained some insight into sarcasm and how people use it, and how well people can identify (or can’t identify) sarcasm. For example, Derks et al. (2008) found that emoticons can convey sarcasm, and in fact in some ways can act as a suitable replacement for much of our nonverbal behavior. In a small experiment, Williams et al. (2009) found that people who made sarcastic statements tended to avert their eye gaze, suggesting a simple way to confirm whether a statement was intended to be sarcastic or not.
But it was Rockwell’s (2006) survey of sarcasm that I think produced the most interesting, recent findings in this area. Out of 218 respondents to her survey, 25 percent didn’t complete the question asking for an example of a sarcastic comment they remember making (perhaps 25 percent of us don’t use sarcasm?). Of the remaining 75 percent who did complete the question, only 45 percent of the people actually came up with a sarcastic remark.
Before delving into the other findings of the study, I think it’s important to highlight that finding: the majority of people — 55 percent — who responded to this survey thought they were giving an example of a sarcastic remark they made, when in fact what they gave was a non-sarcastic remark! A couple of examples — “You really need to stop letting things blow your head up because you’re not that cute” and “I coach a girls’ softball team and during a game I yelled at a girl jogging to the base, ‘My grandmother can run faster than than.'”
It’s no wonder why sarcasm is so often misused or misunderstood — half of us can’t recognize sarcasm in the first place. Something we may mean in a sarcastic manner may be seen as being just plain mean because it was never actually sarcasm in the first place.
Sarcasm is simply saying something intended in a mean-spirited, derogatory or unpleasant manner while meaning the exact opposite. Most people who use sarcasm expect that the recipient of the sarcastic message to recognize the contradiction.
The researcher found that most (69 out of 73) sarcasm used positive language to imply a negative intent, such as “You did a wonderful parking job” or “Obviously, you are the brains of this organization.”
The study also found that most (67 out of 73) sarcasm was directed at others, not at oneself. Very few people, apparently, care enough to make sarcastic remarks toward themselves.
Most comments (62 out of 73) were not considered serious, but were instead primarily teasing in nature. Examples of these included, “Someone hit the door frame and I said, ‘You know, there’s a door right there,” and “When my friend obviously didn’t know the words to a song, I told her how well she sang.”
Less than half (30 of 73) sarcasm was used to evaluate someone else’s performance or choices. Prior studies had found that sarcasm used to evaluate another person was usually more common and used the majority of the time. Such examples include, “‘Oh that looks fabulous!’ to a boyfriend who was wearing something totally inappropriate,” and “‘Nice shot, Sally!’ to my friend who just made a bad shot in golf.”
One of the study’s closing sentences sums up the use of sarcasm best:
Sarcasm represents a difficult verbal behavior, and many speakers who attempt to use it, fail to accomplish their task.
Sarcasm is indeed difficult to use successfully, and can often be taken in a way not intended, leaving a trail of hurt feelings in your path. When used well, it can resemble an art form. Unless you’re well-versed in the art, you should leave the sarcasm to the professionals. Like comedians.
References:
Derks, D., Bos, Arjan E. R., & von Grumbkow, J. (2008). Emoticons and online message interpretation. Social Science Computer Review, 26(3), 379-388.
Rockwell, P. (2006). ‘Yeah, right!’: A linguistic analysis of self-reported sarcastic messages and their contexts. Presented at the Southern States Communication Association annual convention, Dallas, TX.
Williams, J.A., Burns, E.L., & Harmon, E.A. (2009). Insincere utterances and gaze: Eye contact during sarcastic statements. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 08(2), 565-572.
74 comments
I am genuinely surprised by the findings. Don’t they teach the definition of sarcasm in grade two? Where did Rockwell find these people!?
Looks like my faith in humanity is well-founded!
My previous comment came across to be much more harsh than I had intended. Thank you for the entry. Very intriguing!
Tina used sarcasm very well above. Then she apologized for it. Kinda ruins it, eh?
I have a wicked sense of humor and good communication skills. When I use sarcasm, it never fails to draw criticism. Seriously! Maybe the people I hang with can’t laugh at themselves. I’m not sure. I do use it on myself, too. I am able to laugh at myself easily. Without the ability to laugh about ourselves we are doomed!
I don’t have any problem being very directly sincere and complimentary when appropriate and do so generously. I just don’t understand why sarcasm gets such a bad rap. Oh, well.
This seems to suggest that people don’t know what ‘sarcasm’ means — that has little to do with the ability to recognize sarcasm.
Isn’t that just two different ways of saying the same thing, though, Jonathan? If you don’t know what it means, how could you possibly recognize it?
That’s like saying you don’t know what an elephant is, but you could pick one out at the zoo.
I’m trying not to get too “scientific” but another interesting point is that recognizing sarcasm, from a neurological perspective, would include whether or not the area of the brain, the superior temporal sulcus, is functioning correctly. One such situation would include children with autism. Research shows that children or adults who have autism may lack what we call theory of mind (ToM) skills, which include our ability to detect sarcasm and socially subliminal cues. This ToM system is located in the superior temporal sulcus. Also involved is the left hemisphere (the left part of the brain) and other brain structures.
Essentially, recognizing sarcasm is also due to culture (the Latin American culture does not engage in sarcasm as much as the Western culture), social skills (shy people are exempt from using sarcasm), and the neurology of the brain. You can read more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4566319.stm
I don’t particularly care for sarcasm…it isn’t that well liked by serious people. In fact, as you already know, it can be extremely untimely and rather offensive. Sarcasm should really be minimized with certain people, age groups, cultures, and strangers and used at a time when it is appropriate, and should not be used if appropriate use of sarcasm is unclear. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4384734.stm
Personally, I believe that sarcasm is best used only with family and close friends, and sometimes not even them!!
Sarcasm can be used in a mean, hurtful way. I see it often in couples counseling. I was expecting to read more about how sarcasm, and other forms of humor, can be used to mask anger. Was this addressed in the study? Or are the authors suggesting that pure sarcasm is always intended as a joke? I guess I’m not getting it.
And, Tina, you did use sarcasm quite well in your first comment. THAT was funny.
Sarcasm is a difficult thing to understand, and even more difficult to deploy.
Years ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop, grappling with writer’s block, and ended up writing a tutorial on How To Be Sarcastic.
Through the Years I have received numerous emails with questions which were an obvious indication that a good portion of the readers were not understanding what the ‘tutorial’ was meant to be.
Sarcasm requires four qualities, that not all of us have in abundance:
• good verbal skills
• sophisticated sense of humor
• at least average intelligence (and higher is better)
• a certain comfort with (repressed) hostility
Every day I am amazed at how stupid we are becoming. Does it have to do with the Republican gutting of public education?
I agree with several good points made by all the posters: Sarcasm does take a higher degree of intelligence to be effectively executed. It also must be used only in specific settings to not cause alienation between the executor and listeners. I would never use sarcasm unless I was sure that the listener was comfortable with it and knew me well enough to know my sense of humor is just humor and not a direct attack on them or others. I have heard comments from individuals that sarcasm is a cruel attempt at humor that generally offends those present. And I have to admit that I have had it happen to me personally and have had to apologize and make amends.
I am so relieved to know that grants are given to study sarcasm. It would be disturbing to think that the same funds could be squandered away in some other useless area of the field like psychopharmacology or genetic engineering.
Bingo
I partially agree Sean. We could be studying something that would truly help advance our current understanding of more important areas of psychology.
I caught the sarcasm! Good one.
This topic, and these findings, are very interesting to me personally. It’s one of those cases, where I already knew the answer to, but never knew I knew, and therefore just learned that for the first time.
I grew up in Northern Germany, where sarcasm is more of the rule rather than the exception. (This is very different in Austria and Southern Germany, and who are way less intellectual there then then Northern Germany, and they don’t like it)
So, when I moved to the States, I had to learn that sarcasm was not appreciated much, never mind understood by most. (NYC was different)
The one who hated it the most was my therapist.
Anyway, it depends on where you live and whom you hang out with.
When I am sarcastic now, and which is rare, I always feel the need to say that I was being sarcastic right afterwards.
Sarcasm can become much of a habit, and that can become annoying.
I’m currently being assessed for an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and have always had problems with sarcasm. Though I am generally a sarcastic person and use sarcasm generously, I find it difficult to identify when another person is being sarcastic. I know what sarcasm is and have never confused the defenition, but unless someone has a particular inflection in their tone or body language, I cannot tell that they are being sarcastic, even if it would be blatantly obvious to the average person.
As an example of my sarcastic comments, “mind your head”, after my sister had hit hers on a wall or, when awoken by the cats in the morning, “Thanks, I always wanted an alarm clock”.
I am surprised that one important point not made in this article is the fact that children do not understand sarcasm. Many adults/parents often use (or try to use) sarcasm with (their) children without realizing they are yet able to understand the concept of this type of statement. If used often enough, I believe it can cause much psychological confusion.
The idea that one would say something when one actually means the opposite is, on the face of it, illogical. It might take a child some time to learn how to identify such “rules” (behavioural indicators), as there might be that indicate when a statement should be reversed, in order to make sense. And then, of course, if it’s the case that one comes from a culture where sarcasm is not generally used, going into a culture where sarcasm is a common factor in communication could be downright irritating (as in “why don’t people just say what they mean?”).
Would I recognize sarcasm? Probably, but as the piece suggested, it’s often used to demean – as such, it’s quite effective to treat words literally, whereupon the sarcastic person has to explain their comment, and the whole thing falls flat.
Incidentally, I don’t think it requires intelligence of any kind to compose a sarcastic comment – just practice.
Matt
Matt, I did not mean ‘intelligence’ but something ‘intellectual’.
You can be very intelligent and not understand sarcasm, and/or definitely not appreciate it.
But sarcasm is something made by the ming entirely, call it a game, or otherwise.
Response to Matthew Holford:
Though sarcasm may be illogical (which can be said for many other types of “phrasing” used in Western language), speech, in itself, is only what? 10% of what defines our true meaning of what one is trying to say? Has it not been said that body language and voice inflection construes more meaning to an individual then the actual words spoken? This point has been confirmed over and over again, and makes sense when you consider someone with Aspergers Syndrome…
I don’t believe sarcasm is always used to demean another persons’ comments/ideas/beliefs. It could be just another way to express one’s disapproval of said comments – most especially if the comments that illicit sarcasm are themselves illogical. (like arguing with a child’s logic, which is rarely wholly logical).
Sarcasm, too, is often used out of frustration. At least it is for me. While I may use words that are meant to be taken in it’s original definition, many people don’t clue into this because they confuse one word’s definition with a vague substitute they’ve associated that particular word with, thereby changing the meaning of my expression and taking it in a different direction (and most often in an offensive direction).
I constantly have to explain myself in these situations, and quite frankly, it is irritating to the point where I become sarcastic – not to demean, but to express my frustrations.
I thought I would share this little piece.
This morning I kept going with my 13 year old son, not even aware I was doing it.
He says to me: ” Nice job of sarcasm, mom!”
I told him that I just read about kids not understanding sarcasm, supposedly, and how long it has been since he understood sarcasm?
He said: “Always!”
Were you both using sarcasm in it’s correct form? Oh, I should have mentioned that it is young children who do not understand sarcasm. I believe a 13 year old could though.
Oh, and “Always” to a 13 year old probably means the same as “Never.” (ie. “She is always doing such-and-such; and “You never let me do anything I want.” Those terms are often used as absolutes in child-speak.
I am suffering from short term memory loss, so I went to ask my son about what it was I said that was sarcastic, and he responded to.
Patrick had been complaining for about a year, like every day, or even several times a day, about his computer not working properly.
I felt so helpless about this problem as I did not know whom to call for help. Was it the computer itself, or something that I would call the Internet Provider for, or some type of ‘computer nerd’? I did nothing, even if I kept on telling Patrick that I would.
Finally, I called Comcast, and today a guy came out and immediately was able to fix the problem.
I told my son that if he had mentioned there was a problem to me earlier, I would have made the call earlier but that I was not a ‘thought reader’, and that he should have mentioned to me at least one time that there even was a problem?
PS: The purpose of my sarcastic comment was to affectionately apologize to Patrick for neglecting to call someone earlier. It was also
an attempt to acknowledge how many times he did tell me, and a way of making fun of myself and the situation. It was understood in that way as well.
Katrin: Don’t mind me – I have a bit of a bugbear about IQ, and whatnot. It’s my firm conviction that everybody on the planet has roughly the same intellectual capability as me – and I’ll treat them as such! Not everybody believes that, of course, but that’s their misfortune!
SuperfluousBeing: Oh, yes, I’d have to agree: words are the least part of communication, and seeing as how we don’t have body language and voice tonality, etc, to work with, here, we really are having to work very hard to understand one another, I imagine. Add to that the issue of slight (and not so slight), differences in the meanings applied to the same set of words (didn’t Nietzche write an essay on that subject – I seem to remember reading something by him, anyway?), and it’s probably a wonder that we can communicate, at all!
Matt
Matt, I always assume that I am less intelligent than everyone else, and that with this I have an advantage.
These findings are appalling! That’s the way to know American society is really going downhill fast – we can no longer manage to insult each other in an intelligent, sophisticated fashion! 😉
There are similarities between ‘sarcasm’ and ‘irony’.
I used to sometimes say that I was just being ‘ironic’.
Wow. Reeeeaaaaal great article.
I don’t think the bit about hitting the door frame, in the article above, was sarcasm. If you say “there’s a door right there”, you’re just being funny by highlighting the obvious after the fact. You’re not saying the opposite of what you mean: of course you really do believe there’s a door right there!
Sorry to disappoint, but sarcasm is not saying something and meaning something else–that is irony. I teach creative writing and English, and sarcasm is simply a meaner, harsher form of irony (and in fact it is generally considered amateur irony since it is not subtle).
Well this has certainly been an valuable discussion.
I live by the sarcasm, and my daughter who is brilliant but literal, dies by it. She gets when I am being sarcastic, but doesn’t like it. She has tried to counter with sarcasm a few times, but just can’t pull it off. From time to time, we get into a tussle because I sarcasmed and she took offense. I keep telling her I can’t help it. It’s out of my mouth so effortlessly. Is there a 12 step program for me out there?
I may not know what to call it, but I know when words are meant to hurt.
“Ah, Perry the Platypus, what an unexpected surprise — and by unexpected, I mean COMPLETELY EXPECTED!”
Matt, I just realized I should say this. My comment about the lower intelligence was ‘not’ sarcastic.
To be fair, “[y]ou really need to stop letting things blow your head up because you’re not that cute” could be sarcastic if you said it to somebody you actually do think is that cute.
Well, in that case, Matt, I really don’t think I like you much at all! (LOL)
Wikipedia defines sarcasm as “… a form of humor that uses sharp, cutting remarks or language intended to mock, wound, or subject to contempt or ridicule.” Another online dictionary says “harsh or bitter derision or irony.” Thes do not seem altogether inconsistent with the “wrong” answers, and does not mention “saying one thing and meaning anothe”r as the defining attribute of sarcasm. From where did this definition come?
The dictionary version is limited. Like I said in the statement I used with my son, it was meant in a loving way, although a little teasing as well. But then Patrick knows, that I can be mean in a ‘loving way’, and it happens all the time. (Yet, there is absolutely no misunderstanding) Like, he tells me he hates me sometimes, and I just say I know, and I love him, too. I mean, I know the difference.
PS: We have a policy in our house that we are allowed to hate everyone and everything, when we have computer problems.
Katrin wrote:
“Matt, I always assume that I am less intelligent than everyone else, and that with this I have an advantage.”
*Pretending* to be less intelligent might be an advantage, but you won’t fool anybody for very long, I think. It’s the Columbo school of conversation, isn’t it – where one pretends to be a blundering ass, but then asks a truly inciteful question, which might still not be seen for what it is (and are you going to be wondering whether or not I have asked such a question, and why?)?
Anyway, there are too many possibilities involved in assuming that one is less intelligent, I think… How much less intelligent, for a start? Whereabouts does one pitch one’s own intelligence, in order to not offend, intimidate or be dismissed? Has one assessed the other person’s intelligence appropriately, such that one’s presentation of one’s own intelligence is less than theirs? And so on.
So, why do you assume that you’re less intelligent?
Matt
PS When I’m talking about intelligence, I’m talking about the ability to engage in abstract thought and problem-solving, which I maintain is the remit of everybody. Depth of “knowledge” is a different matter, and is the stuff of parrots.
Because, intelligence by itself means nothing. Some of the stupidest people I know have PhD’s. Some of the most intelligent people I know have nothing beyond a high school degree, if as much.
I don’t learn important stuff through intelligence, never. I utilize my intelligence only for processing that which I already know or that which I learned through other sources, mainly my soul.
I operate much like an animal does, and who does not require intelligence to know something. my intelligence only needs to be ‘good enough’ and it is sort of the tip of the iceberg, an extra gift, but not to be used at the expense of all those other places we us to know and learn with.
I also learn as much from stupid people and what they say as I do from really intelligent words by intelligent people and what they say.
I learn more from mistakes than from the ‘correct.’
“Sarcasm is simply saying something while meaning the exact opposite.” This is ridiculous. Maybe this article poorly summarizes the study. But basically the conclusion here is: the majority of people don’t choose to conform to our extraordinarily limited and unusual definition of sarcasm.
Maybe, John, we need another article on intelligence.
OK, some of the people I went to school with in College and up, they were excellent students, and usually the ones who got the highest grades, but they were stupid. Why?
Because they were just like Bulimics. before a test, they studied like crazy, and then they did really well on the test, and then it was like if they vomited out what they remembered, and they never retained the information, never mind processed what they learned in/with their own minds.
For myself, on the other hand, I had to be able to understand something in order for me to learn it. What I learned had to be integrated, and not vomited up.
And i didn’t grow up with Multiple Choice either, so I was not too clever with this type of test. I would see the ‘correct answer’ but then argue that there really was more and different to it. So, by thinking more highly, and further, i often got the wrong answer, even if i could have ‘correct;y’ explain my thinking process, and which was not one of being too stupid.
Anyway!
The author does not seem to distinguish “sarcasm” from “irony”.
Any phrase which has an intended effect which is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words is “irony”. Sarcasm is a subset of irony which is unpleasant and derogatory. Nobody should be encouraged to use sarcasm, which apparently derives from the Greek word for “to tear at the flesh”. If the phrase is a pleasant remark rather than a sneer, then it is irony and not sarcasm.
There is also a different use of the word “irony” to describe events. For example the occurrence of the opposite of what would have been expected to happen, or an internal inconsistency. Whether or not an event is “ironic” is a completely different question from whether or not a statement is “irony”.
Katrin,
thanks for your extremely valuable insight about Germany’s North/South divide on intellectualism.
Cheers from Stuttgart (home of Friedrich ‘Doofus’ Hegel)
S
Katrin wrote:
“…I learn more from mistakes than from the ‘correct.’”
Ah, yes: wasn’t it Eddison who said something along the lines of “I can demonstrate what I’ve achieved by showing you my mistakes”?
I suppose, in a way, intelligence is like light – one only perceives it when it strikes an object. And you’re right, I think – formal qualifications don’t measure intelligence, although they’re often used as an indicator, particularly by those who hold them! As you suggest, it’s possible to learn how to pass exams – my Securities Institute quals were all multi choice, and I just went on a course and got internet access to a bunch of past questions, which we were advised to answer, repeatedly. Most of the questions in the real exam were in the practice material, and lo, I became intelligent enough to pass!
I think the measure of intelligence, aside from that business of abstract thought and problem-solving may also be assessed by one’s ability to organize one’s own thoughts.
Matt
Und Helmuth Rilling, der jedes Jahr nach Eugene, OR kommt und das wirklich gute ‘Oregon Bach Festival’ leitet. Katrin (Danke!)
Sorry, guys, I was speaking german here, not to be sarcastic, though, just funny.