A study of the relationship between joke preferences and some personality dimensions

Abstract

It is the aim of this study to investigate and discover some of the relationship between joke preferences and personality dimensions. Laughter holds an important position among the philosophers and the tender-minded psychologists. However, though there are many advantages for the experimental study of jokes, great many obstacles have to be overcome. Theories of laughter are abundant, but none of them offer a comprehensive and satisfactory solution to the secret of laughter. Following H. J. Eysenck's example, the theories were classified into cognitive, conative, and affective theories, in addition to the miscellaneous theories and the combined theories, A review of the previous studies offers a few useful hints for the present research, though the literature is quite scanty, and a lack of integration is evidenced. In the first part of the present study, following H. J. Eysenck's hint, the jokes were divided into sexual vs. non-sexual jokes, simple vs, complex jokes, personal vs. impersonal jokes, and orectic vs. cognitive jokes. The subjects' scores on this Joke Preference Scale were correlated with their scores on the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and J. R. Davitz's Metaphor Test. Five significant correlations were found. In the second part of the study, the same jokes were factor analysized by the technique of principal component. A new sample was used while the same personality tests were used. The subjects' factor scores on the joke components were correlated with their factor scores on the personality components, and their raw scores on the personality variables. Thirteen significant correlations were found. A comparison of the results from the two parts of the study shows that the findings from both parts were fairly consistent. While the present study seems to confirm and clarify some of the previous studies, it also discovers some new relationship between joke preference and personality.