Abstract
Previous research has shown that individuals with autism are frequently mocked in their childhood and are consequently more anxious about being ridiculed. Research has also shown that autistic individuals have a higher level of gelotophobia (fear of being laughed at) compared to typically developed individuals. However, recent studies have also found that gelotophobia is strongly related to personality, which suggests that personality is a factor that helps to create a higher level of gelotophobia in autistic individuals. To investigate whether this is the case, we recruited 279 Taiwanese high school students, 123 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 156 typically developed students as a control group. Self-reporting questionnaires were used to gather data on the Big Five personality traits and on the gelotophobia-related traits of gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. The results were analyzed and the two groups were compared for differences in gelotophobia and personality. The ASD group was found to have a higher level of gelotophobia than the typically developed group, but lower levels of gelotophilia and katagelasticism. Additionally, the ASD group was found to have lower levels of extraversion and agreeableness than the typically developed group, but no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of conscientiousness, openness, and emotional stability. We then investigated the possible correlations between gelotophobia-related traits and the Big Five, and consequently the mediation effect of the Big Five on gelotophobia. The results show, firstly, that extraversion rather than ASD is a direct factor in gelotophobia. Secondly, the level of gelotophilia was partly influenced by autism but also to a certain extent by the level of extraversion. Lastly, the results indicate that autism and the level of agreeableness are in conflict when predicting the level of katagelasticism.
Highlights
When a person is teased or mocked by others, they usually experience negative feelings such as anger, sadness, shame, disgust, or fear (Platt, 2008; Platt and Ruch, 2009)
The present study recruited students with autism from high schools in Taiwan. These students had been diagnosed by doctors or by the municipal special education identification and counseling committees composed of special education professionals, who confirmed the presence of autism or Asperger syndrome as defined by the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) criteria: (1) having notable impaired verbal and non-verbal communication; (2) having notable impaired social interaction; (3) having restricted and repetitive behavior; and (4) having intelligence quotients (IQs) of 70 or above according to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
The result of a Chi-square test revealed a significant difference in gelotophobia between the two groups (X2 = 8.597, p = 0.035): 73.7% of the typically developed group had no gelotophobia, compared with 57.7% of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) group; and 35.8% of the ASD group had slight gelotophobia, compared with 20.5% in the typically developed group
Summary
When a person is teased or mocked by others, they usually experience negative feelings such as anger, sadness, shame, disgust, or fear (Platt, 2008; Platt and Ruch, 2009). A Study of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Big Five who are paranoid about laughter have gelotophobia—a fear of being laughed at (Ruch and Proyer, 2008a) They are sensitive to laughter in all social situations, dread being laughed at, and regard others’ smiles only as scornful (Hofmann et al, 2015). The term “gelotophobia” (from gelos, Greek for laughter) was proposed by Titze (1995, 1996, 1997) Based on his clinical observations, some people seem to be excessively concerned about being laughed at by others. They cannot distinguish the difference between playful teasing and ridicule, and perceive all types of laughter as hostile (Titze, 1995, 1996, 1997). Gelotophobes allay their state of uneasiness non-verbally; out of anxiety, their faces become stiff (Titze, 2009)
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