Understanding the power of political humour: Implications for emotions, attitudes, and behaviour

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Political humour exposes the errors, shortcomings, and misadventures of an individual, institution, or ideology. Such humour seeks to ridicule authoritative figures and systems, and thus presents an especially powerful critique of its subject. Rapid changes in the contemporary political climate have inspired an explosion of political humour, which reaches broad cross-sections of the British public through television, news publications, and social media platforms. Political humour is thus increasingly positioned at the epicentre of contemporary political engagement-particularly among younger generations-yet little is known about its impact on citizens' emotions, attitudes, and behaviour.Political and social divisions are increasing within contemporary Western democracies, with those on each side becoming increasingly entrenched in their worldview and unwilling to compromise their ideological principles. This polarisation can be reinforced by the incendiary content and tone of political humour, thus inflaming conflicts in civil society. For instance, political humour that targets religious figures (e.g., the Prophet Muhammad or the Catholic Pope) has incited vehement protest among those who disagree.Given the broad and potentially profound reach of political humour, it is important to understand its impact on citizens. To address this gap, the proposed research examines the extent to which political humour alienates those who disagree with the communicated message while placating those who agree, and the resulting implications for individuals' level of (dis)engagement with mainstream democratic processes. In particular, we investigate the social psychological factors and processes that underpin the impact of political humour on individuals' attitudes and behaviour. The project has three objectives:1. To document the range of emotions elicited by political humour2. To investigate the impact of political humour on individuals' attitudes3. To examine the impact of political humour on individuals' behaviourThese objectives will be addressed with nine studies that examine British individuals' responses to political humour, focusing on amusement, irritation, and other emotional responses (Studies 1 to 3), political attitudes (Studies 4 to 9), and political behaviour (Studies 8 and 9). Experimental materials (e.g., political cartoons) will be drawn from real-world materials available in the public domain (e.g., social media, news outlets) or developed by political organisations (e.g., unions, local political parties).This project will have important academic and social benefits. Results will contribute to the development of scholarly frameworks of political humour and satire, as well as theory about the factors that shape political attitudes and political behaviour. Project findings will also help political and community organisations to develop more effective campaigns to educate and mobilise their members. Lastly, the results will help inform editors' decisions regarding the publication of political humour.