Exploring the Polish Adaptation of the Sarcasm Self-report Scale Using the Think-Aloud Protocol: Three Lessons About Studying Irony Through Questionnaires

Measures of verbal irony use vary considerably in the literature and range from production tasks to self-report questionnaires. Most are developed for the purpose of a particular study by its authors and lack validation. One of the verbal irony use measures that is gaining popularity is the Sarcasm Self-Report Scale. The SSS is a self-report measure that assesses the participants’ tendency to use verbal irony in daily life. The SSS consists of 16 items, eight of which assess the general use of irony, and eight assess the tendency to use irony in specific situations. For each item, participants are asked to rate the likelihood of using irony in the context on a Likert-type scale. The aim of the present study was to explore the properties of the Polish adaptation of the SSS using the think-aloud protocol (TAP) method. In the TAP, participants are encouraged to verbalize their thoughts while completing a task or a questionnaire. Their responses are recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded. This method allows for a better understanding of the respondents’ thought processes or decision-making when answering, for example, questions in a self-report measure. In our study, we hoped to determine how participants interpret the SSS items and to identify any possible problems that they might experience when completing this questionnaire. We collected data from 32 participants. As a result of a qualitative content analysis, three main categories were identified: (a) participants’ connotations of irony, (b) approaches to responding to the SSS, (c) problems with responding to the SSS. This study provides insights into using verbal protocols such as the TAP to evaluate self-report questionnaires in studying irony, and to offer some validation of these measures.