In Case You Haven't Heard…

When you commit a harmless blunder — like stumbling on a sidewalk or blanking on someone's name — people may actually respond more warmly if you can laugh it off, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association (APA), a news release stated. The study, “Transcending Embarrassment: On the Reputational Benefits of Laughing at Yourself,” published online Feb. 26 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , reveals that taking the moment in stride tends to be viewed more positively than reacting with visible embarrassment. “We found that people often assume others are judging their minor missteps more harshly than they really are,” said study co‐author Övül Sezer, Ph.D., of the Cornell University SC Johnson School of Business. “When the mistake is small and innocuous, laughing at yourself can convey confidence, ease tension, and show the slip was unintentional.” Earlier work has shown that displaying embarrassment after a social misstep can have its own social upside, signaling respect for social norms and remorse. In the future, the researchers plan to look at how other variables affect their findings — including cultural norms around embarrassment and humor, gender norms and settings, like workplaces, to better understand when humor is socially effective versus risky.