New research on gelotophobia: National narcissism related to the fear of being laughed at

How people respond to jokes about their community may depend on their national level of narcissism, according to a new study published in Personality and Human Differences. Researchers have found that people who have extreme views about their own country are often afraid of being laughed at by others but at the same time they enjoy laughing at other nations. The research sheds light on how defensive and heightened feelings of national pride jokes are about their country.

Laughter, a universal human experience, can be a double-edged sword—to nurture social relationships or become a tool for ridicule. The researchers wanted to understand how people relate to laughter when it affects social groups rather than individuals. Although previous studies have examined how people react when laughter is directed at themselves or other people, this study is the first to examine how people respond to jokes that affect their community.

The researchers were particularly interested in the psychological dimensions of national narcissism and national identity. National narcissism refers to an extreme belief in the superiority of one’s society. On the other hand, national identity shows a more general relationship with its community.

The researchers conducted two separate studies, both using online surveys and large groups of adults from Poland. The first survey involved 633 people, and the second included 1,504 participants. All respondents were citizens of Poland, and the samples were balanced for gender, age, and other demographic information to ensure representativeness.

Participants completed questionnaires measuring several psychological characteristics, including national narcissism, national identity, and their attitudes toward national humor. To measure national narcissism, the researchers used a modified version of the Collective Narcissism Scale, asking participants to rate statements such as “Polish people deserve special treatment.” National identity was tested using the Social Identification Scale, which includes items such as “I am very similar to other Polish people.”

The researchers modified an existing psychological instrument, the PhoPhiKat-9 scale, which typically assesses individual attitudes toward laughter and teasing, to focus on communities instead. The revised scale measured three emotions: national gelotophobia (fear of others laughing at one’s own nation), national gelotophilia (enjoying being laughed at as a nation), and national catagelasticism (enjoying laughing at nations others). Participants rated how much they agreed with statements such as “I avoid talking about Polish people because I’m afraid others might laugh at them” (national gelotophobia) or “I enjoy making fun of people from in other countries and I am happy when they are laughed at” (national katagelasticism).

The results confirmed that people with high levels of national narcissism are more likely to fear that others are laughing at their community. This relationship can be understood in the context of national narcissism with strong sensitivity to perceived threats. Just as people with narcissistic personality styles tend to be hypersensitive to personal criticism, those with national narcissism may see jokes about their country as an attack on status and prestige. theirs.

National narcissism was also positively associated with enjoying laughing at other nations. This suggests that people who are defensive and high-minded about their own community tend to enjoy denigrating other communities by making jokes. This practice can serve as a way to confirm the superiority of their community by belittling others.

Unlike national narcissism, national identification was not associated with national gelotophobia or national cataelasticism. This article suggests that people who have a strong but secure relationship with their community are not necessarily afraid of jokes about their country, nor do they enjoy making fun of other communities.

Interestingly, the researchers did not find a clear connection between national narcissism and the joy of laughing (national gelotophilia). In fact, although the first study did not find a significant relationship, the second study revealed a positive relationship between national narcissism and gelotophilia. This unexpected finding suggests that elites may not only be afraid of jokes about their own society but also surprisingly enjoy being the center of attention—even in situations funny or mocked.

The researchers also explored the concept of metadehumanization, the idea that some view a human social group as completely subhuman. They found that catagelasticism—liking to laugh at other peoples—was associated with feelings of being looked down upon by other groups. This suggests that people who enjoy mocking other nations may project their hostility toward others, assuming that outsiders view their own nation with the same disdain.

Although this study provides information about the psychological power of national humor, there are some limitations that should be considered. First, the research was conducted only in Poland, so it is not clear whether the findings will apply to people from other countries who have different cultural attitudes about nationalism and humor. In addition, the study relied on subjective data, which may have biases such as social desirability, where participants may respond in ways that they believe are socially acceptable.

Lesson, “The joke’s on us? National narcissism and attitudes towards laughter,” written by Dagmara Szczepańska, Marta Marchlewska, Radosław Rogoza, Wojciech Podsiadłowski, Zuzanna Molenda, Oliwia Maciantowicz, Marta Rogoza and Dominika Klusek.