Frame shifting and satirical reading

The study aims at analysing the impact of frame shifting on the recognition of a text as satirical. Frame shifting is a characteristic feature of both humour and irony, which, in turn, are often found in satire. However, what leads a text to be identified as satire is not just the presence of humour or irony. Several features, in fact, interact together to let the satirical interpretation emerge. A behavioural test containing two satirical texts and two jokes was presented to  English native speakers in order to verify the influence of frame shifting, along with other parameters, on the perception of a text as either humorous or satirical. Results showed that frame shifting is perceived as stronger in humorous texts with respect to satirical ones. This may be due to the fact that in humorous texts the frame shift gets the slots to be filled with material that is just incongruous and unexpected thus contributing to the general effect of amusement and entertainment. In contrast, in satirical texts, the materials introduced trigger further inferences that determine a shift in attitudes, turning the general effect into criticism and moral condemnation.