Men and women don’t laugh at the same jokes.
A new study suggests that males are more likely to find visual jokes and slapstick funny while women will chortle at gags about political issues and domestic relationships.
The findings come from an analysis of 3,380 people who attended an exhibition of cartoons published in UK newspapers and magazines between 1930 and 2010.
Participants were presented with 19 pairs of cartoons and asked to select their favourite – where the gender differences emerged.
Professor Robin Dunbar, a psychologist from the University of Oxford who analysed the data, said: “We found that men are more amused than women by visual, immediate jokes like slapstick – jokes like someone slipping over on a banana skin.
“It seems women may be deeper and prefer more subtle jokes about relationships and how people interact.
“These results make some sense as women typically spend more time discussing social relationships, while men bond more over banter and trying to make each other laugh.”
Men and women don’t laugh at the same jokes.
A new study suggests that males are more likely to find visual jokes and slapstick funny while women will chortle at gags about political issues and domestic relationships.
The findings come from an analysis of 3,380 people who attended an exhibition of cartoons published in UK newspapers and magazines between 1930 and 2010.
Participants were presented with 19 pairs of cartoons and asked to select their favourite – where the gender differences emerged.
Professor Robin Dunbar, a psychologist from the University of Oxford who analysed the data, said: “We found that men are more amused than women by visual, immediate jokes like slapstick – jokes like someone slipping over on a banana skin.
“It seems women may be deeper and prefer more subtle jokes about relationships and how people interact.
“These results make some sense as women typically spend more time discussing social relationships, while men bond more over banter and trying to make each other laugh.”
