Meaningless absurdist content triggers compensatory affirmation just like intergroup threat

Evidence

In one condition, participants were told that what they were about to read was a joke, a Monty Python parody of adventure stories for young boys (expected unexpected condition). In a second condition, participants were told that what they were about to read was a classic adventure story for young boys—without any indication of the incongruities that were to come (unexpected unexpected condition). In a third condition, participants read a traditional joke that culminated in a standard punch line that was unexpected but contained an interpretation that rendered the joke sensible (punch line joke condition). Then, in all conditions, participants were given the opportunity to affirm an alternative meaning framework by punishing a lawbreaker (a prostitute; see Proulx & Heine, 2008; Rosenblatt et al., 1989). We predicted that when Biggles was presented as a straightforward adventure story, it would constitute an uncanny experience and people would compensate by punishing the lawbreaker more than would participants in other conditions. — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 47

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Meaning threats trigger affirmation of whatever meaning frameworks are handy — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 3; Absurdist meaning threat should trigger defensive ingroup affirmation like other threats — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 30; Compensation for meaning threat operates through affirmation of alternative meaning frameworks. — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 39 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Absurdist art may arouse uncanny feelings and provoke defensive affirmation #corroborates (0.85) — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 10
• Group esteem threat can spill attitudes onto unrelated outgroups #expands (0.74) — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 57
• Threat amplifies preexisting intergroup responses rather than creating them #qualifies (0.72) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 23
• Realistic conflict triggers and becomes indistinguishable from preexisting prejudice #expands (0.72)