Election Jokes: The Effects of Reference Group Membership

Abstract

Jokes about Gold water and Johnson were rated by 130 Ss on election day in 1964. The difference in their response to these two types of joke correlated .53 with their candidate preference, even with the differences in their understanding of the points of the jokes partialled out. The multiple correlation of differential comprehension and candidate preference with differential humor is .62. The evidence supports a reference group theory of humor.