The influence of ethnocentrism and ethnic label on the appreciation of disparagement jokes.

This study examined the relationship of ethnocentrism and the presence of an ethnic label to the humor appreciation of jokes with socially acceptable or unacceptable aggressors and victims. Forty high ethnocentrics and 40 low ethnocentrics, half males and half females, each read 12 jokes which varied in the acceptability of aggressor and victim and in the ethnic combination of the characters (neutral aggressor and victim, neutral aggressor and ethnic victim, ethnic aggressor and neutral victim). They rated these jokes on humor, as well as justifiability, hostility, and acceptability of aggressor and victim. Results indicated that high ethnocentrics, but not the low ones, found jokes with neutral aggressors and ethnic victims funnier. In addition, all subjects gave higher humor ratings to jokes with justified aggression. Thus, both ethnic stereotypes and the particular description of the characters appear to be significant influences on humor ratings in disparagement jokes.