On the uses of sarcastic irony

• Published in: Journal of pragmatics Vol. 32; no. 10; pp. 1467 - 1488
• Main Authors: Toplak, Maggie, Katz, Albert N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2000; Elsevier; North-Holland Pub. Co
• Subjects: Descriptive studies and applied theories; Humour; Indirect language; Interpersonal relations; Linguistics; Listener interpretation; Perspective; Pragmatic functions; Sarcastic irony; Semantics and pragmatics; Speaker intention; Speech; Indirect language; Perspective; Speaker intention; Sarcastic irony; Listener interpretation; Pragmatic functions; Intention; Irony; Experimental study; Verbal Behaviour; Verbal Interaction; Pragmatics
• ISSN: 0378-2166; 1879-1387
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-2166(99)00101-0

The studies reported here contrasted the effects of making a criticism directly with that of making it indirectly (via sarcasm). These effects were examined either when the focus was on the person who uttered the criticism (Study 1) or when the focus was on the person to whom the barb is directed (Study 2). Moreover, we studied the beliefs associated with sarcastic uses from four different points-of-view: from that of the speaker, from that of the target of the criticism, from that of an incidental overhearer and from a control no-perspective orientation. The main task involved reading a set of passages in which one of the characters criticized another either directly or via sarcasm. Participants completed a questionnaire for each passage about why the criticism was made. A set of reasons discriminated sarcastic from direct criticism, with twice as many discriminating reasons being observed when one considers what is in the mind of the person making the sarcastic comment (Study 1) relative to what is in the mind of the person who receives it (Study 2). Factor analyses indicated that many of the seemingly separate reasons reflect a common basis, primarily verbal aggression, though separate factors indicated that verbal aggression made via sarcasm differs in some ways from that when made directly. Finally, there were some differences found in point-of-view, indicating that the effect the speaker believes his criticism has sometimes differs from the effect as seen by the victim.