Emotional Reactions to Verbal Irony

Abstract

We report the findings of 3 studies looking at people's emotional reactions to different kinds of ironic language (e.g., irony, sarcasm, overstatement, understatement, satire, rhetorical questions, and nonironic statements). The first experiment instructed the participants to rate their own emotional reaction, the second to rate the emotional state of the speaker, and the third to rate how the participants thought the speaker wished them to feel. The choice of a statement predictably affected addressees' emotions, especially when participants read irony, rhetorical questions, understatement, and nonironic statements. With sarcasm and satire, speakers may reveal their own emotions with little intention to affect addressees' emotions, and overstatements had a negative effect that speakers did not intend. Finally, detailed patterns show how, when, and which emotions are influenced by the various types of irony.