2011/01/14 by R. Lance Holbert, Jay D. Hmielowski, Parul Jain +2 · 2 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Humor Studies and Applications #Language, Metaphor, and Cognition #Media, Gender, and Advertising
paper · doi:10.1177/0002764210392156
openalex publication_date 2011/01/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/11
This study extends political humor effects research by focusing on two distinct types of satire, juvenalian and horatian. Theoretical arguments grounded in the elaboration likelihood model culminated in the positing of a series of interactions between message (juvenalian, horatian, traditional opinion-editorial) and recipient ability (high, low) relative to three outcome variables: perceived humor, counterarguing, and attitudes concerning Hillary Clinton’s universal health care plan. An experiment was conducted during the 2008 Democratic primary election. The Message × Ability interactions revealed a need to step beyond the study of satire as monolithic; different types of satire produce divergent effects depending on the ability of the audience member. Future lines of research and the need for additional theory building are discussed.