Humor-evoking events frequently contain aggressive elements. Sex differences have been found for the effects of aggressive content on perceived funniness, (Wilson & Molleston, 1981; Terry & Ertle, 1974; Groch, 1974; Felker & Hunter, 1970) but the findings are not consistent. Sexism is sometimes perceived as a more subtle form of aggression. Sex differences have also been found for the way sexism affects funniness ratings, (Chapman & Gadfield, 1976; Priest & Wilhelm, 1974) but again the findings are inconsistent. The primary purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between the ratings of sexism and the ratings of funniness for cartoons. A secondary purpose of the present study was to determine to what extent, if any, gender of experimenter influences humor, sex, sexism, and pain ratings.Subjects were 60 female and 58 male introductory Psychology students. There were four experimental groups: two groups of female and two groups of male subjects. A female experimenter was assigned to one male and one female group, and a male experimenter was assigned to one male and one female group. This design facilitated exploration of an experimenter gender x subject gender interaction. Subjects were shown 34 cartoons and asked to rate each for funniness, and then to rate them for the degree of sexual, sexist, and aggressive (pain) content each contained.A preliminary analysis revealed that there were significant relationships between gender of experimenter and funniness ratings, gender of subject and funniness ratings, as well as a gender of experimenter x gender of subject interaction.A step-down multiple regression was performed among the predictor variables experimenter gender and subject gender, with the criterion of funniness, for each of the four experimental conditions. For female subjects, only sexism scores correlated with funniness scores, and the contributions of sex and pain ratings were not significant. For male subjects, only sex scores correlated with funniness scores, and the contributions of sexism and pain ratings were not significant. Comparisons between these results and past research were made.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/183325 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Herek, Ann Marie |
| Contributors | Deckers, Lambert H. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | v, 25 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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