Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Taking A Joke Seriously: When Does Humor Affect Responses To The Slurring Of People With Intellectual Disabilities?, Jennifer Katz, Dimitri Wing-Paul

Psychology

The use of humor may affect how bystanders respond to slurs. Undergraduates (N = 192) completed a measure of prejudice towards people with intellectual disabilities and were randomly assigned to read a scenario in which a peer uses a slur either as part of a joke (humor condition) or a statement (control condition). Participants responded to measures of intent to assertively respond and their evaluation of the speaker. Humor inhibited intent to nonverbally disagree and to verbally confront. Bystanders’ own prejudicial attitudes moderated the effects of humor on intent to verbally confront and negative evaluation. In the humor condition, compared …