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The seriousness of humour: Examining the relationship and pathways between sexist humour and the Dark Tetrad traits

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Abstract

With blatant expressions of sexist attitudes deemed socially unacceptable, prejudice towards women may surface through subtle means, including sexist humour. However, no empirical study has explored the personality traits associated with appreciation for sexist humour. Study 1 (N = 304) assesses the relations between the Dark Tetrad traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism) and appreciation for sexist humour, and examines whether affective and cognitive empathy mediate these associations. Findings demonstrated significant positive associations between psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism, and appreciation for sexist humour. Although higher psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism were not associated with finding sexist statements and events humorous and entertaining (the opposite is true for sexist jokes), these traits were associated with less serious interpretation. Importantly, the relations between these traits and appreciation for sexist humour were mediated by lower levels of affective empathy only, while the associations between these traits and appreciation for sexist statements and events were mediated by lower levels of affective and cognitive empathy. Study 2 (N = 320) examined gender differences in appreciation for sexist humour and replicated patterns observed in Study 1, but with slightly less pronounced effects in females compared to males. Study 3 (N = 320) showed a relationship between these traits and use of (not just appreciation for) aggressive humour, with perceived stress as a mediator and gender as a moderator. Overall, findings corroborate that individuals who score higher on specific Dark Tetrad traits may use sexist humour as an expression of sexist attitudes with minimal social consequences.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Catherine Li, Chloe Lau, Lital Yosopov & Donald H. Saklofske

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Catherine Li

  3. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Chloe Lau

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Li, C., Lau, C., Yosopov, L. et al. The seriousness of humour: Examining the relationship and pathways between sexist humour and the Dark Tetrad traits. Curr Psychol 42, 32030–32053 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04199-0

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