The highest form of intelligence: Sarcasm increases creativity for both expressers and recipients

When your doctor is testing your cognitive ability is sarcasm one of the testing points? My sarcasm is in full flower, both giving and receiving. What training in this is your doctor prescribing for you?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074959781500076X

• Li Huang^{a, ,} ,
• Francesca Gino^b, ,
• Adam D. Galinsky^c,

• ^a INSEAD, East Wing 1.23, Boulevard de Constance, Fontainebleau 77300, France
• ^b Harvard University, Baker Library, Bloomberg Center 447, Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02163, USA
• ^c Columbia University, 709 Uris, 3022 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA

Received 7 August 2013, Revised 22 June 2015, Accepted 1 July 2015, Available online 17 July 2015

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doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2015.07.001

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Highlights

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Sarcasm is an instigator of conflict but also a catalyst for creativity.

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General forms of sarcasm promote creativity through abstract thinking for both expressers and recipients.

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Expressing sarcasm to or receiving sarcasm from trusted others increases creativity without elevating conflict.

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We manipulated sarcasm via a simulated conversation task and a recall task.

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We employed three different creativity measures and a well-established measure of abstract thinking.

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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.