Highlights
Sarcasm is an instigator of conflict but also a catalyst for
creativity.
General forms of sarcasm promote creativity through abstract
thinking for both expressers and recipients.
Expressing sarcasm to or receiving sarcasm from trusted
others increases creativity without elevating conflict.
We manipulated sarcasm via a simulated conversation task and
a recall task.
We employed three different creativity measures and a
well-established measure of abstract thinking.
Abstract
Sarcasm is ubiquitous in organizations. Despite its
prevalence, we know surprisingly little about the cognitive experiences of
sarcastic expressers and recipients or their behavioral implications. The
current research proposes and tests a novel theoretical model in which both the
construction and interpretation of sarcasm lead to greater creativity because
they activate abstract thinking. Studies 1 and 2 found that both sarcasm
expressers and recipients reported more conflict but also demonstrated enhanced
creativity following a simulated sarcastic conversation or after recalling a
sarcastic exchange. Study 3 demonstrated that sarcasm’s effect on creativity
for both parties was mediated by abstract thinking and generalizes across
different forms of sarcasm. Finally, Study 4 found that when participants
expressed sarcasm toward or received sarcasm from a trusted other, creativity
increased but conflict did not. We discuss sarcasm as a double-edged sword:
despite its role in instigating conflict, it can also be a catalyst for creativity.
Courtesy of: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/52872?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-08-03&eun=g906366d0r
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