Researchers at a prestigious university examined how men and women respond to humor, revealing clear differences in what makes them laugh. The study found that men tend to enjoy visual and slapstick jokes, while women showed a preference for humor that touches on politics, family dynamics, and social relationships. The investigation was reported in a humor-focused publication at the time, highlighting the cross-genre appeal of cartoons and visual gags.
In a large-scale public exhibition, about three thousand visitors interacted with a collection of cartoons published across magazines from 1930 to 2010. The display featured 19 pairs of images, and participants were asked to select their favorite pieces. The process aimed to capture immediate, instinctive reactions to the humor and to map how taste shifts across generations and gender lines.
The data showed distinct gender preferences. Men tended to assign higher scores to cartoon setups that relied on sudden mishaps and visual absurdity, such as paint cans tumbling onto impeccably dressed pedestrians. In contrast, these same men were less compelled by humor centered on family life or political commentary, finding such themes less entertaining or relevant to their taste at the moment of selection.
Conversely, women demonstrated a fondness for humor with more nuance. They appeared to engage with jokes that explore relationships and human interactions in a deeper way. Analysts suggested that this pattern might reflect social differences: women often spend more time discussing relationships and the nuances of social dynamics, while men may bond through shared laughter and more immediate, broad humor. The researchers noted that women might process the world with a reflective instinct, whereas men often respond with quicker, more superficial reactions in a social setting.
Context from prior research is referenced to provide a broader understanding of humor preference patterns. Earlier studies have explored how different psychotypes relate to sexual behavior and related topics, underscoring that humor and social signaling can interact with personal and cultural factors. Such references help frame the current findings within a wider conversation about gender, cognition, and social bonding. These insights contribute to our understanding of how humor operates as a social tool across diverse audiences and time periods. (Source: Oxford University research team; reported in a humor-focused periodical of that era.)