Gender and Humor, Psychological Aspects of

The psychological study of gender and humor has largely focused on the differences between men and women in their appreciation and creation of humor in laboratory and social settings. The earliest studies tended to characterize men as the more likely to create humor with women the more likely to play an appreciative audience. These studies often attributed gender differences to socialization and social status, arguing that in traditional societies, men are afforded higher social standing and as such are encouraged to be assertive and dominant. Consequently, men would be the more likely to develop the self-presentation skills necessary for telling jokes and engaging in humorous behaviors, especially jokes and behaviors of an aggressive nature. However, research since the advent of the women's movement in the ...