In a study published by the American Psychological Association, researchers found that satire can be more damaging to reputations than direct criticism. The research, featured in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, suggests that satire might dehumanize individuals and reduce them to caricatures.

"Most people think satire is just humorous and playful, but dehumanization exists on a spectrum and can include things like forgetting that others have complex emotions and feelings," said Hooria Jazaieri, PhD, an assistant professor of management at Santa Clara University. "We can take a small piece of humorous criticism and make generalizations about other aspects of a person, which may or may not be true."

The study involved several experiments with participants viewing satirical or critical content about public figures. In one experiment with 1,311 participants, viewers watched YouTube videos about famous personalities like Tom Brady and Mark Zuckerberg. Those who viewed satirical content perceived more negative effects on the targets' reputations compared to those who viewed direct criticism.

Another experiment using memes related to Gwyneth Paltrow's skiing accident lawsuit had similar outcomes among 373 participants. Additionally, an experiment involving soccer manager Jose Mourinho showed that satirical memes resulted in more negative perceptions than critical memes or simple photographs.

The study also explored how satire affects lesser-known or fictitious individuals. Replacing Mourinho with the fictitious "Steve Randall" yielded comparable results in terms of reputational damage from satire.

A final aspect of the research indicated that imagining positive interactions with subjects could mitigate some negative perceptions caused by satire. Jazaieri noted the importance of humor while acknowledging its potential harm: "Humor, laughter and even criticism have positive benefits and serve important functions in society."

The focus on non-political figures distinguishes this research from prior studies primarily centered on political figures. It is worth noting that these findings are based on visual media such as videos and memes; they may not apply to text-based or audio-only satire.

For further details, readers can refer to "Softening the Blow or Sharpening the Blade: Examining the Reputational Effects of Satire," co-authored by Hooria Jazaieri, PhD, Santa Clara University, and Derek D. Rucker, PhD, Northwestern University.

Hooria Jazaieri can be contacted via email for more information.