Sense of humour means different things to men and women

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 10 Feb 2005 - 15:00 PDT

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That sought-after trait in a mate -- "good sense of humour" -- is more complex than originally thought. In fact, men and women define it differently.

Eric Bressler, a graduate student at McMaster University who is studying the role of humour in personal attraction, discovered in a survey of 150 students that to a woman, "sense of humour" means someone who makes her laugh; to a man, a sense of humour means someone who appreciates his jokes.

"There's a difference between producers (those who make you laugh) and receptors (those who laugh when someone cracks a joke)," said Bressler. "Women choose men who produce humour 62 per cent of the time; conversely, men choose women who appreciate their humour 65 per cent of the time."

Bressler also found a marked difference when he looked at different relationships: "When it comes to friendships, men like to be around women who produce humour; when it comes to sexual relationships, they only dig women who laugh at their jokes."

McMaster University, named Canada's Research University of the Year by Research InfoSource, has world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities. McMaster's culture of innovation fosters a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship. Based in Hamilton, the University has a student population of more than 20,000 and more than 112,000 alumni in 128 countries.

For more information, please contact:

Eric Bressler
Department of Psychology
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 26042
bressle@mcmaster.ca

Jane Christmas
chrisja@mcmaster.ca
McMaster University

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