Personality correlates of humor enjoyment following motivational arousal.

Abstract

STUDIED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEXUAL AROUSAL AND ENJOYMENT OF CARTOON HUMOR, AND THE RELATIVE ABILITY OF NEED FOR APPROVAL AND GUILT TO PREDICT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THIS RELATIONSHIP. 40 MALE STUDENTS RATED PHOTOGRAPHS OF NUDE FEMALES; 40 CONTROLS RATED NEUTRAL PHOTOGRAPHS. ALL SS THEN TOOK THE LEVINE AND REDLICH MIRTH RESPONSE TEST. AROUSED SS EXPRESSED GREATER ENJOYMENT OF CARTOON HUMOR THAN CONTROLS, BUT DID NOT RESPOND DIFFERENTIALLY TO CARTOON TYPES. AROUSED SS HIGH ON SEX GUILT (MOSHER INCOMPLETE SENTENCES TEST) EXPRESSED GREATER ENJOYMENT OF CARTOON HUMOR THAN THOSE LOW ON SEX GUILT. NO DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND FOR CONTROLS. NEED FOR APPROVAL (MARLOWE-CROWNE SOCIAL DESIRABILITY SCALE) WAS NOT RELATED TO THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. AROUSED SS WITH A MALE E CHOSE SEXUAL CARTOONS AS FAVORITES MORE OFTEN THAN DID THOSE WITH A FEMALE E. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SEX GUILT, RATHER THAN APPROVAL MOTIVATION, WAS A MAJOR MEDIATING FACTOR IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AROUSAL AND EXPRESSION, BUT THAT THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICAN SITUATIONAL FACTORS IN THE ENJOYMENT OF HUMOROUS MATERIAL. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)