I Will Act as If I Understand Irony Better: The Relationship Between the Histrionic Self-Presentation Style and the Interpretation And Appreciation of Verbal Irony

In this chapter, the author examined the relationship between self-reported histrionic self-presentation style and the interpretation of verbal irony. The histrionic self-presentation style relates to humor and is a special form of impression management in social settings. It involves behaviors such as playing roles, imitating people, or using verbal irony. It was hypothesized that participants’ tendency to use irony in their own speech, related to the histrionic self-presentation style, might be related to the detection and appreciation of irony and its aspects in the speech of others. One hundred and sixty undergraduate students took part in an online study. They were asked to read several context scenarios, each followed by a literal or ironic target statement, and then rate the speaker’s intent in terms of irony, mockery, politeness, and humor. The results showed that the participants’ self-perceived level of As-If-behaviors was related to their interpretation and appreciation of ironic criticism and ironic praise. High AIS scorers reported more positive interpretations of ironic statements (i.e., rated the speakers as funnier and more polite) than did those with low AIS scores. They were also more convinced of their interpretations of ironic statements. The study complements the existing literature on individual differences in detecting and appreciating verbal irony.