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Seniors have got problems recognizing sarcasm
Have you ever been sarcastic to older people? Her behavior could have been completely pointless. Because older people may be less able to recognize sarcasm. A recent study claims that people over the age of 65 are harder to recognize and understand sarcasm.
Sarcasm could be meaningless in old people. Researchers argue that the elderly are less able to understand sarcasm. A recent study by researchers at Aberdeen University found that people over the age of 65 often have problems recognizing and understanding sarcasm. The results of their investigations, the experts now published in the journal "Developmental Psychology"
Image: luismolinero - fotolia Older people are harder to read the facial expressions of their fellow human beings
Pensioners have problems classifying sarcastic comments correctly. Often they do not really recognize their true message. That claims at least a new investigation on this topic. This is presumably because older people often look at the world through pink glasses, the scientists explained. Retirees usually believe in the best in people, so it's not so easy for them to spot sarcastic situations, the British researchers from Aberdeen added. The physicians examined 116 men and women for their study. The subjects read stories and watched films about everyday conversations between friends and spouses. Later, the subjects should explain what they had seen and answer questions about the situations. Thus, the scientists tried to determine whether sarcasm was recognized or not.
All participating volunteers were between 18 and 86 years old. The answers would show that people over the age of 65 had trouble understanding sarcasm, the doctors said. Non-sarcastic situations recognized all subjects equally well. Older people would find it more difficult to read the facial expressions of their fellow human beings, the doctors added. So they could not decode sarcasm so well. In addition, retirees tend to see everything more positive. It can be surmised that this ability ensures that we will not be overwhelmed by the increasing number of tragedies of life, the experts explained.
Positive attitude leads to the "over-listening" of sarcasm
Losing the ability to respond appropriately to sarcasm could affect our relationships and friendships as we age, said psychologist Professor Louise Phillips. It is also difficult to present sarcasm in written form, added the physician. We already know that inclusion in social interactions is valuable to humans, especially as we age. It is therefore extremely interesting how the normal aging process could influence our ability to understand subtle social signals such as sarcasm, Professor Phillips continued. In some situations, it may also be a good thing not to recognize sarcasm, as it can sometimes be meant to be evil and offensive. Older adults are known to have a more positive attitude towards life than younger adults, and this may help to "over-hear" a sarcastic undertone, the psychologist said. Future research will now determine whether the lack of appreciation of sarcasm in the elderly also means that they use less sarcasm.