The Sociological Explanation of Political Humor Consumption among Students in University of Esfahan

The Aim of this study was to examine the amount of political humor consumption in a sample of university students in Iran. A further aim was to develop and assess a path model for the exposure to political humor. For this purpose, a theoretical model derived from the studies of Yang and Titsinger (2006) and Milowski et al. (2011). This model was included factors that predict the use of political humor. In fact, it was consisted of the demographic and political characteristics of viewers of political humorous programs. The sample includes 366 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Isfahan, Iran. Results show that political humorous SMSs are consumed by participants more than other forms of political entertainment-based media. Also, our data support the specified model for the political humor consumption. All of the expected correlations were significant, with an exception of the relationship between age and political satirical viewing. Consequently, the predictors of political humor consumption respectively are media use, political orientations, and affinity for political humor.