Relationship of Reference Group to Perception of Humor

Abstract

Psychosocial importance of humor in reduction of anxiety and communication was developed, with specific consideration of group influence on perception of humor. Subjects were 15 black females, 20 white females, 13 black males, and 16 white males. Cartoons depicting seven humorous themes were rank ordered in terms of ‘funniness.’ Group mean ranks were transformed into ordinal integers. Groups applied similar concepts of humor to rankings ( W = .68, p < .05), though rank correlations showed significant relationships only between white females, black females, and white males.