Exploring Personality Traits, Power Distance, and Individualism with Sarcasm Use in Casual and Formal Relationships

Sarcasm conveys a message that is the opposite of what one means through phonological cues, such as vocal intonation, loudness, body movements, gestures, and situational knowledge. It is often described as one subcomponent of irony (Gibbs, 2000) and can be influenced by the culture of a geographic location. The five-factor model of personality that include openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (emotional stability) has been associated with the use of sarcasm (Kalowski et al., 2023). Additionally, cultural dimensions such as power distance and individualism/collectivism have also been associated with sarcasm use (Blasko et al., 2021). The present study furthered Blasko et al.’s study by investigating the relationship between these personality traits and cultural dimensions, separately, with the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal relationships and casual relationships. Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and power distance were negatively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in both casual and formal relationships. Agreeableness was negatively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal relationships, while individualism was positively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in casual relationships. Conscientiousness and openness to experience were significant negative predictors of the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal but not casual relationships. Further findings yielded additional interesting findings, such as individuals in Singapore being more likely to use sarcasm in both casual and formal relationships than China, Mexico, and the United. The present study findings can be utilized in linguistic, personality, and cross-cultural psychological domains, while there may be clinical implications from the present study for mental illnesses.

I grant the Pennsylvania State University the non-exclusive right to use this work for the University’s own purposes and to make single copies of the work available to the public on a not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise available.

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Work Title Exploring Personality Traits, Power Distance, and Individualism with Sarcasm Use in Casual and Formal Relationships
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Alexander Thomas George Hazuda
Keyword
  1. Sarcasm
  2. Irony
  3. Culture
  4. Country
  5. Personality
  6. Formal and Casual Relationships
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Masters Culminating Experience
Sub Work Type Scholarly Paper/Essay (MA/MS)
Program Humanities
Degree Master of Arts
Acknowledgments
  1. Dawn Blasko, PhD
  2. Shariffah Rahah Sheik Dawood, PhD
  3. Victoria A. Kazmerski, PhD
  4. Wilson James Brown, PhD
  5. Kerryn Brochey
  6. Haobo Zhi
  7. Jemma Bryan
  8. George Hazuda
  9. Tamara Kloss
Publisher
  1. Alexander Thomas George Hazuda
Publication Date October 4, 2024
Subject
  1. Psychology
  2. Linguistics
  3. Sarcasm
Language
  1. English
Deposited October 04, 2024

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Updated
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword, Subject, Language, and 4 more Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Sarcasm, Irony, Culture, Country, Personality, Formal and Casual Relationships
    Subject
    • Psychology, Linguistics, Sarcasm
    Language
    • English
    Publisher
    • Alexander Thomas George Hazuda
    Description
    • Sarcasm conveys a message that is the opposite of what one means through phonological cues, such as vocal intonation, loudness, body movements, gestures, and situational knowledge. It is often described as one subcomponent of irony (Gibbs, 2000) and can be influenced by the culture of a geographic location. The five-factor model of personality that include openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (emotional stability) has been associated with the use of sarcasm (Kalowski et al., 2023). Additionally, cultural dimensions such as power distance and individualism/collectivism have also been associated with sarcasm use (Blasko et al., 2021). The present study furthered Blasko et al.’s study by investigating the relationship between these personality traits and cultural dimensions, separately, with the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal relationships and casual relationships. Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and power distance were negatively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in both casual and formal relationships. Agreeableness was negatively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal relationships, while individualism was positively correlated with the likelihood to use sarcasm in casual relationships. Conscientiousness and openness to experience were significant negative predictors of the likelihood to use sarcasm in formal but not casual relationships. Further findings yielded additional interesting findings, such as individuals in Singapore being more likely to use sarcasm in both casual and formal relationships than China, Mexico, and the United. The present study findings can be utilized in linguistic, personality, and cross-cultural psychological domains, while there may be clinical implications from the present study for mental illnesses.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-10-04
    Publisher's Statement
    • I grant the Pennsylvania State University the non-exclusive right to use this work for the University’s own purposes and to make single copies of the work available to the public on a not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise available.
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • Dawn Blasko, PhD, Shariffah Rahah Sheik Dawood, PhD, Victoria A. Kazmerski, PhD, Wilson James Brown, PhD, Kerryn Brochey, Haobo Zhi, Jemma Bryan, George Hazuda, Tamara Kloss
  • Added Creator Alexander Hazuda
  • Added MRP_Hazuda.pdf
  • Updated License Show Changes
    License
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Degree, Program, Sub Work Type Show Changes
    Degree
    • Master of Arts
    Program
    • Humanities
    Sub Work Type
    • Scholarly Paper/Essay (MA/MS)
  • Renamed Creator Alexander Thomas George Hazuda Show Changes
    • Alexander Hazuda
    • Alexander Thomas George Hazuda