What makes a joke funny? What makes it fall flat? Why do some people appreciate sarcasm and others despise it?
These are just some of the topics that Erica Edwards ’15, assistant teaching professor of psychology, tackled in Psych 426: Language and Thought last semester, and in her research collaboration with Dr. Dawn Blasko and Dr. Victoria Kazmerski, associate professors of psychology, and Dr. Shariffah Sheik Dawood, associate teaching professor of psychology.
Here are five takeaways about using humor:
1. Relationships matter.
The perceived humor in sarcasm, when we say something we don’t mean, often depends on who delivers it. “Sarcasm among friends can be a form of bonding, but sarcasm from your boss would have a whole different – probably negative — meaning,” Edwards said.
2. Effort is everything.
The idea here is that the best jokes are the ones where the recipient has to do a little work to appreciate it. “There’s a sweet spot of effort between humor that requires too much effort and humor that requires too little,” Edwards said. “People most appreciate humor that they are just clever enough to get.”
3. Humor is cultural.
There are tremendous differences in humor among cultures. For example, British people perceive sarcasm more positively than do Chinese people, who tend to view sarcasm more negatively. Humor in international settings should be approached with care.
4. Age has an influence, too.
In the United States, older adults tend to use less sarcasm (as opposed to young adults, who use it more). On the other hand, in China, elderly women may become more sarcastic, as though there’s less of “a filter between their mind and their mouth,” Edwards said.
5. Humor has a purpose.
“People use humor to bond, to feel good, to cope with stressful situations, and to diffuse embarrassment,” Edwards said. “It can be a powerful tool to help manage feelings and emotions. And what can be better than a belly laugh?”