Autistic People, Gelotophobia, Gelotophilia and Katagelasticism: a Narrative Review

Keates, N. & Waldock, K. E. (2023). Autistic People, Gelotophobia, Gelotophilia and Katagelasticism: a Narrative Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 12(1), 40-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-023-00376-4

Publication date: 3 May 2023 Added to AutiHub: 7 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)

Abstract

No structured abstract stored for this reference.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:31.

Cited references
79
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
12 / 79 (15.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
17 / 315 (5.4%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 17 / 77 (22.1%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 14 / 267 (5.2%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
77 / 315 (24.4%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 58 / 267 (21.7%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
60 / 77 (77.9%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 60 / 315 (19.0%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 44 / 58 (75.9%).
5 cited bibliography entries could not be fully enriched from DOI metadata.
Crossref: not found (3) · DataCite: not found (2)
  1. Majia Holmer Nadesan (2005). Constructing Autism: Unravelling the 'Truth' and Understanding the Social .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1608527469
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. Gail A. Alvares , Keely Bebbington , Dominique Cleary , Kiah Evans , Emma J Glasson , Murray T. Maybery et al. (2020). The misnomer of ‘high functioning autism’: Intelligence is an imprecise predictor of functional abilities at diagnosis . Autism, 24(1), 221-232. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. Andrew Whitehouse , Helen J. Watt , E. A. Line , Dorothy V. M. Bishop (2009). Adult psychosocial outcomes of children with specific language impairment, pragmatic language impairment and autism . International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 44(4), 511-528. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Andrea C. Samson (2013). Humor(lessness) elucidated – Sense of humor in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Review and Introduction . Humor, 26(3), 393. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. Julie Lounds Taylor , Katherine Gotham (2016). Cumulative life events, traumatic experiences, and psychiatric symptomatology in transition-aged youth with autism spectrum disorder . Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 8(1), 1. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Ilona Papousek , Nilüfer Aydin , Helmut K. Lackner , Elisabeth M. Weiss , Markus Bühner , Günter Schulter et al. (2014). Laughter as a social rejection cue: Gelotophobia and transient cardiac responses to other persons' laughter and insult . Psychophysiology, 51(11), 1112-1121. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Simon Baron-Cohen , Alan M. Leslie , Uta Frith (1985). Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind”? Cognition, 21(1), 37-46. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Eva Venturini , Thomas D. Parsons (2018). Virtual Environments for Assessment of Social Exclusion in Autism: a Systematic Review . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 5(4), 408-421. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. René T. Proyer , Christian F. Hempelmann , Willibald Ruch (2009). Were they really laughed at? That much? Gelotophobes and their history of perceived derisibility . Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 213. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Kristin L Berg , Cheng‐Shi Shiu , Kruti Acharya , Bradley C Stolbach , Michael E Msall (2016). Disparities in adversity among children with autism spectrum disorder: a population‐based study . Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 58(11), 1124-1131. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Kerrianne E Morrison , Kilee M. DeBrabander , Desiree R. Jones , Daniel J Faso , Robert A. Ackerman , Noah J. Sasson (2020). Outcomes of real-world social interaction for autistic adults paired with autistic compared to typically developing partners . Autism, 24(5), 1067-1080. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Michael Oliver (1983). Social Work with Disabled People . Macmillan Education UK.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Linda C. Eaves , Helena H. Ho , David M. Eaves (1994). Subtypes of autism by cluster analysis . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(1), 3-22. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Simon M. Bury , Rachel Jellett , Alex Haschek , Michael Wenzel , Darren Hedley , Jennifer R. Spoor (2023). Understanding language preference: Autism knowledge, experience of stigma and autism identity . Autism, 27(6), 1588-1600. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Willibald Ruch (2009). Fearing humor? Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at Introduction and overview . Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 1-25. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Bart N. Green , Claire Johnson , Alan Adams (2006). Writing narrative literature reviews for peer-reviewed journals: secrets of the trade . Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 5(3), 101-117. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. M. Catherine Cappadocia , Jonathan A. Weiss , Debra Pepler (2012). Bullying Experiences Among Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(2), 266-277. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Willibald Ruch , Ursula Beermann , René T. Proyer (2009). Investigating the humor of gelotophobes: Does feeling ridiculous equal being humorless? Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 111. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Robert Chapman *Autistic author. Learn more… (2021). Neurodiversity and the Social Ecology of Mental Functions . Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1360-1372. SAGE Publications.
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Willibald Ruch , René T. Proyer (2009). Extending the study of gelotophobia: On gelotophiles and katagelasticists . Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 183. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. David S. Mandell , Christine M. Walrath , Brigitte Manteuffel , Gina Sgro , Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin (2005). The prevalence and correlates of abuse among children with autism served in comprehensive community-based mental health settings . Child Abuse & Neglect, 29(12), 1359-1372. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. EDWIN H. COOK , John E. Kieffer , DAVID A. CHARAK , BENNETT L. LEVENTHAL (1993). Autistic Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(6), 1292-1294. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Neil Humphrey , Judith Hebron (2015). Bullying of children and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions: a ‘state of the field’ review . International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(8), 845-862. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Lily Cresswell , Eilidh Cage (2019). ‘Who Am I?’: An Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Identity, Acculturation and Mental Health in Autistic Adolescents . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(7), 2901-2912. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Rachael Davis , Catherine J. Crompton (2021). What Do New Findings About Social Interaction in Autistic Adults Mean for Neurodevelopmental Research? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(3), 649-653. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Noah J. Sasson , Daniel J. Faso , Jack Nugent , Sarah Lovell , Daniel P. Kennedy , Ruth B. Grossman (2017). Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments . Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40700-40700. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Christie Davies (2009). Humor theory and the fear of being laughed at . Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2). Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Ching-Lin Wu , Chih-Pei An , Lei-Pin Tseng , Hsueh-Chih Chen , Yu-Chen Chan , Shu-Ling Cho et al. (2015). Fear of being laughed at with relation to parent attachment in individuals with autism . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 10, 116-123. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Willibald Ruch , René T. Proyer (2008). Who is Gelotophobic? Assessment Criteria for the Fear of Being Laughed at . Swiss Journal of Psychology, 67(1), 19-27. Hogrefe Publishing Group.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Kilee M. DeBrabander , Kerrianne E. Morrison , Desiree R. Jones , Daniel J. Faso , Mike Chmielewski , Noah J. Sasson (2019). Do First Impressions of Autistic Adults Differ Between Autistic and Nonautistic Observers? Autism in Adulthood, 1(4), 250-257. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Patricia J Lucas , Janis Baird , Lisa Arai , Catherine Law , Helen M Roberts (2007). Worked examples of alternative methods for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research in systematic reviews . BMC Medical Research Methodology, 7(1), 4-4. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Franklin R. Schneier , Jane A. Luterek , Richard G. Heimberg , Eduardo Leonardo (2004). Chapter 4. Social Phobia . In Clinical manual of anxiety disorders (pp. 63-86). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Bonnie Evans (2013). How autism became autism . History of the Human Sciences, 26(3), 3-31. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Brett Heasman , Alex Gillespie (2018). Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members . Autism, 22(6), 740-750. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Willibald Ruch , René T Proyer (2008). The fear of being laughed at: Individual and group differences in Gelotophobia . Humor – International Journal of Humor Research, 21(1), 47. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Fischer, W. F. (1970). Theories of anxiety. Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology, University Press of America.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  39. Willibald Ruch , Jennifer Hofmann , Tracey Platt (2015). Individual differences in gelotophobia and responses to laughter-eliciting emotions . Personality and Individual Differences, 72, 117-121. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  40. Morton Ann Gernsbacher (2017). Editorial Perspective: The use of person‐first language in scholarly writing may accentuate stigma . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(7), 859-861. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  41. Morton Ann Gernsbacher , Jennifer L. Stevenson , Sebastian Dern (2017). Specificity, contexts, and reference groups matter when assessing autistic traits . PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0171931. Public Library of Science (PLoS).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. Ella Perry , Laura Hull , Will Mandy , Eilidh Cage (2020). Understanding camouflaging as a response to autism-related stigma: A Social Identity Theory approach . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Center for Open Science.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. Morten Birkeland Nielsen , Tone Tangen , Thormod Idsoe , Stig Berge Matthiesen , Nils Magerøy (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder as a consequence of bullying at work and at school. A literature review and meta-analysis . Aggression and Violent Behavior, 21, 17-24. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  44. Susan Grennan , Arlene Mannion , Geraldine Leader (2018). Gelotophobia and High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 5(4), 349-359. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  45. Andrea C. Samson , Oswald Huber , Willibald Ruch (2011). Teasing, Ridiculing and the Relation to the Fear of Being Laughed at in Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(4), 475-483. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  46. Sarah Griffiths , Carrie Allison , Rebecca Kenny , Rosemary Holt , Paula Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen (2019). The Vulnerability Experiences Quotient (VEQ): A Study of Vulnerability, Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Autistic Adults . Autism Research, 12(10), 1516-1528. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2162 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2949176131
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. Ruch, Willibald , Proyer, Rene T , Popa, D E (2008). The fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) and personality . In Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (pp. 53-68). Institutului de Istorie Naţională.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.5167/uzh-4117 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2612944783 Crossref: not found
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  48. Willibald Ruch , Jennifer Hofmann , Tracey Platt , René Proyer (2014). The state-of-the art in gelotophobia research: A review and some theoretical extensions . HUMOR, 27(1), 23. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  49. L Kanner (1943). Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. The Nervous Child, 2, 217–250. The Nervous Child, 2, 217.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  50. Richard Woods *Autistic author. Learn more… , Krysia Emily Waldock *Autistic author. Learn more… (2020). Critical Autism Studies . In Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 1-9). Springer New York.
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  51. JAMES W. JEFFERSON (2005). Clinical Manual of Anxiety Disorders . American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(1), 200-a-201. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    OpenAlex
  52. Nathan Keates (2022). A Letter to the Editor Regarding Bambara et al. (2021), “Using Peer Supports to Encourage Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Show Interest in Their Conversation Partners” . Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(4), 1600-1603. American Speech Language Hearing Association.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  53. Louise Neil , Nora Choque Olsson , Elizabeth Pellicano (2016). The Relationship Between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Sensory Sensitivities, and Anxiety in Autistic and Typically Developing Children . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 1962-1973. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  54. René T. Proyer , Willibald Ruch , Numan S. Ali , Hmoud S. Al-Olimat , Toshihiko Amemiya , Tamirie Andualem Adal et al. (2009). Breaking ground in cross-cultural research on the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): A multi-national study involving 73 countries . Humor - International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2). Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  55. Lorcan Kenny , Caroline Hattersley , Bonnie Molins , Carole Buckley , Carol Povey , Elizabeth Pellicano (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community . Autism, 20(4), 442-462. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  56. T. J. Scheff (1974). The Labelling Theory of Mental Illness . American Sociological Review, 39(3), 444. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/2094300 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2327138140
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  57. Arvid Nikolai Kildahl , Sissel Berge Helverschou , Trine Lise Bakken , Hanne Weie Oddli (2020). “If we do not look for it, we do not see it”: Clinicians' experiences and understanding of identifying post‐traumatic stress disorder in adults with autism and intellectual disability . Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(5), 1119-1132. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  58. A. Sellschopp-Rüppell , M. von Rad (2010). Pinocchio – a Psychosomatic Syndrome / Panel- and Plenum-Discussion: Psychotherapeutic Problems with Psychosomatic Patients . Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 28(1-4), 357-375. S. Karger AG.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  59. Geraldine Leader , Susan Grennan , June L. Chen , Arlene Mannion (2018). An Investigation of Gelotophobia in Individuals with a Diagnosis of High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(12), 4155-4166. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  60. Geraldine Leader , Arlene Mannion (2021). Gelotophobia and Autism . In Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 2173-2178). Springer International Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  61. Ching‐Lin Wu , Yu‐Chen Chan , Hsueh‐Chih Chen (2019). Gender differences on laugh‐related traits: A cross‐sectional study . International Journal of Psychology, 54(5), 621-627. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  62. Milton, D. (2012a). So what exactly is autism?. Autism Education Trust. https://kar.kent.ac.uk/62698/1/So%20what%20exactly%20is%20autism.pdf . Accessed 9 Jan 2020.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  63. Milton, D. E. M. (2017). A mismatch of salience: Explorations of the nature of autism from theory to practice. Pavilion Press.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  64. Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2017). A Mismatch of Salience: Explorations of the Nature of Autism from Theory to Practice .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2762953930
    OpenAlex
  65. T Platt (2010). Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Gelotophobia and age: Do disposition towards ridicule and being laughed at predict coping with age-related vulnerabilities? Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52(2), 231–244. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52(2), 231.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  66. Shah, P. (2021). Neurodiversity: Similarities versus differences [annual lecture]. Salvesen Lecture 2021 online. https://youtu.be/quAEvSHWPlM . Accessed 6 Dec 2021
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  67. M Titze (1996). Titze, M. (1996). The Pinocchio Complex: Overcoming the fear of laughter. Humor and Health Journal, 5, 1–11. Humor and Health Journal, 5, 1.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  68. M Titze (2009). Titze, M. (2009). Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1–2), 27–48. https://doi.org/10 . 1515/HUMR. 2009. 00. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1–2), 27.
    Type: Other DOI: 10.1515/humr.2009.00 Crossref: not found DataCite: not found
    Crossref
  69. MN Tsai (2018). Tsai, M. N., Wu, C. L., Tseng, L. P., An, C. P., & Chen, H. C. (2018). Extraversion is a mediator of gelotophobia: A study of autism spectrum disorder and the big five. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 150. https://doi.org/10 . 3389/2Ffpsyg. 2018. 00150. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 150.
    Type: Other DOI: 10.3389/2ffpsyg.2018.00150 Crossref: not found DataCite: not found
    Crossref
  70. Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities. Autonomous Press.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  71. Walker, Nick (2021). Neuroqueer heresies notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities . Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities.
    Type: Other OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W7011697317
    OpenAlex