Responding to Interpersonal Teasing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Creating a more friendly social construction of a teasing encounter using a pro-social humorous response was investigated. By definition, teasing communicates both humor and hostility, and the target can respond to the humorous message while ignoring the hostile message, thus constructing the hypothesized more friendly interaction. Affiliative humor, aggressive humor, and ignoring were compared in their ability to decrease the negative effects of interpersonal teasing. As hypothesized, the affiliative response influenced the teaser to feel friendlier toward the target of teasing. The teaser also felt more attractive, better about him or herself, and less aggressive. The teaser rated the target or victim of the teasing as feeling better about him or herself, more attractive, and less harmed when using affiliative humor.