It’s Fun! But is it Effective? The Appreciation, Processing, and Persuasiveness of Political Satire

• In Event: The Effects of Entertainment Media and Satire

Abstract

This study constructs and experimentally tests an integrated framework of how political attitudes are affected by political satire. The focus of the study is on the underlying causal mechanisms via perceived funniness and absorption into the message, while also investigating the moderating roles of political preference, age and background information provision. Using an experimental design we, on the one hand, show that political satire affects the attitude toward the satirized subject positively via perceived funniness. This was particularly strong among those who did not perceive the satire as potentially threatening. On the other hand, young adults were found to be more absorbed into the satirical items, which decreased counterarguing, such that the attitude toward the satirized object was affected negatively. The study shows that looking at the underlying and conditional processes of satire is a valuable approach to detecting the mediated mechanisms by which satire may influence attitudes.

Authors

• Mark Boukes, University of Amsterdam / ASCoR

• Hajo G. Boomgaarden, U of Vienna

• Marjolein Moorman, U of Amsterdam

• Claes H. De Vreese, U of Amsterdam