Older adults have difficulty in decoding sarcasm.

Abstract

Younger and older adults differ in performance on a range of social-cognitive skills, with older adults having difficulties in decoding nonverbal cues to emotion and intentions. Such skills are likely to be important when deciding whether someone is being sarcastic. In the current study we investigated in a life span sample whether there are age-related differences in the interpretation of sarcastic statements. Using both video and verbal materials, 116 participants aged between 18 and 86 completed judgments about whether statements should be interpreted literally or sarcastically. For the verbal stories task, older adults were poorer at understanding sarcastic intent compared with younger and middle-aged participants, but there was no age difference in interpreting control stories. For the video task, older adults showed poorer understanding of sarcastic exchanges compared with younger and middle-aged counterparts, but there was no age difference in understanding the meaning of sincere interactions. For the videos task, the age differences were mediated by the ability to perceive facial expressions of emotion. Age effects could not be explained in terms of variance in working memory. These results indicate that increased age is associated with specific difficulties in using nonverbal and contextual cues to understand sarcastic intent. (PsycINFO Database Record

Understanding ironic criticism and empathic praise: The role of emotive communication

“…What irony and empathy each require is that the intentionality be directed towards influencing the feelings of the listener and the interpretation of an emotional message Dennis, Simic, Agostino, et al, 2013;Filippova, 2014). A variety of evidence suggests that constructs like belief alone do not explain irony (Filippova & Astington, 2010;Phillips et al, 2015). A variety of evidence suggests that constructs like belief alone do not explain irony (Filippova & Astington, 2010;Phillips et al, 2015).…”

“…Although behavioural studies suggest a link between emotional expression and intentionality (Bora et al 2005;Henry, Phillips, Crawford, Ietswaart, & Summers, 2006;Phillips, Wellman, & Spelke, 2002) and fMRI evidence suggests a link between emotional expression and affective theory of mind (Mier et al, 2010), the relation of affective intent in the development of irony and empathy remains underspecified. Difficulties in correctly perceiving facial emotional cues are important for detecting and interpreting non-literal intent from speech (Phillips et al, 2015). We offer that the age-related patterns observed in understanding many forms of social communication may be in part mediated by affective theory of mind.…”

“…Emotive communication involves modulating emotional expression according to social display rules Dennis, Simic, Agostino, et al, 2013;Ekman & Friesen, 1975;Saarni, 1999) and social norms (Gilbert & Malone, 1995); not surprisingly, it develops later than emotional expression (Cole, Jenkins, & Shott, 1989;Saarni, 1984Saarni, , 1999. In a recent study with adults, Phillips et al (2015) examined the relations between decoding sarcastic exchanges and emotion perception. There appears to be an unexplained developmental lag between the time theory of mind is mastered and the time more complex forms of social interactions are understood (e.g., irony).…”

“…We offer that the age-related patterns observed in understanding many forms of social communication may be in part mediated by affective theory of mind. In a recent study with adults, Phillips et al (2015) examined the relations between decoding sarcastic exchanges and emotion perception. Younger and middle-aged adults were better at understanding sarcastic exchanges when compared to older adults.…”

“…Mediational analyses revealed the association between the ability to detect sarcasm and age was mediated by emotion perception (i.e., recognition of facial emotion expression). Difficulties in correctly perceiving facial emotional cues are important for detecting and interpreting non-literal intent from speech (Phillips et al, 2015).…”