Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives
It is evident that sarcasm can be interpreted differently due to various factors, However, rare research was conducted to investigate the influence of national culture on sarcasm comprehension despite its valuable theoretical implication. This study used an online rating task to explore how national...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349002/full |
| _version_ | 1827346820405133312 |
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| author | Yiran Du Huimin He Zihan Chu |
| author_facet | Yiran Du Huimin He Zihan Chu |
| author_sort | Yiran Du |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is evident that sarcasm can be interpreted differently due to various factors, However, rare research was conducted to investigate the influence of national culture on sarcasm comprehension despite its valuable theoretical implication. This study used an online rating task to explore how national culture impacts the comprehension of sarcasm, focusing on the differences between Chinese and American cultural values (i.e., power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, long-term orientation, and masculinity) and their influence on comprehending sarcastic praise and criticism. The study showed that Chinese participants tend to understand sarcasm less than Americans. It also found that Power Distance is linked to better sarcasm comprehension in both cultures, while Uncertainty Avoidance has a negative effect on it, especially in Chinese participants. Collectivism is also associated with improved sarcasm comprehension, especially in Chinese participants. However, Masculinity and Long-Term Orientation do not seem to have a significant impact on sarcasm comprehension, regardless of nationality or the type of comment (praise or criticism). Overall, the study reveals nuanced differences in how cultural values shape the comprehension of sarcasm in Chinese and American contexts, underscoring the complex interplay between culture and communication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:37:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54bce266960d4f1488e80e9b5895852b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:37:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-54bce266960d4f1488e80e9b5895852b2024-02-20T05:01:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-02-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.13490021349002Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectivesYiran Du0Huimin He1Zihan Chu2Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesEnglish Language Centre, School of Languages, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, ChinaIt is evident that sarcasm can be interpreted differently due to various factors, However, rare research was conducted to investigate the influence of national culture on sarcasm comprehension despite its valuable theoretical implication. This study used an online rating task to explore how national culture impacts the comprehension of sarcasm, focusing on the differences between Chinese and American cultural values (i.e., power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, long-term orientation, and masculinity) and their influence on comprehending sarcastic praise and criticism. The study showed that Chinese participants tend to understand sarcasm less than Americans. It also found that Power Distance is linked to better sarcasm comprehension in both cultures, while Uncertainty Avoidance has a negative effect on it, especially in Chinese participants. Collectivism is also associated with improved sarcasm comprehension, especially in Chinese participants. However, Masculinity and Long-Term Orientation do not seem to have a significant impact on sarcasm comprehension, regardless of nationality or the type of comment (praise or criticism). Overall, the study reveals nuanced differences in how cultural values shape the comprehension of sarcasm in Chinese and American contexts, underscoring the complex interplay between culture and communication.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349002/fullsarcasmsarcasm comprehensionironyfigurative languagenational culture |
| spellingShingle | Yiran Du Huimin He Zihan Chu Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives Frontiers in Psychology sarcasm sarcasm comprehension irony figurative language national culture |
| title | Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives |
| title_full | Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives |
| title_short | Cross-cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension: a comparative study of Chinese and American perspectives |
| title_sort | cross cultural nuances in sarcasm comprehension a comparative study of chinese and american perspectives |
| topic | sarcasm sarcasm comprehension irony figurative language national culture |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349002/full |
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