What Humor Researchers Found Out About Female and Male Brains

Have you even been on a date or at a party and find yourself honestly laughing at a story or situation? It not only feels good, but it relieves a lot of pent up stress and tension.

Actually humor is a highly prized commodity. Both women and men rank a good sense of humor as an important trait of attractiveness in each other. However, researchers (yes, there actually are humor researchers) have found some distinct gender difference when it comes to male and female brains using humor.

Researcher, Eric Bressler, psychologist at McMaster University, Canada has identified this basic brain humor difference. The female brain looking for a male who is a humor “generator” — one can tell good jokes that makes her laugh. The male brain looking for a female who is a humor “appreciator” — one who willing laughs even when it’s dumb.

Here are some other humor gender brain differences that have been discovered.

Female brain

• Uses humor to bond with others
• Uses laughter to signal sexual interest
• Finds it desirable in romantic relationships
• Attracted to funny male brains for their humor creativeness and dual male/female humor viewpoints
• Holds males in higher esteem who appreciate their humor

Male brain

• Use humor competitively against other men (insults, nicknames, practical jokes)
• Does not use laughter well to signal sexual interest
• Not turned off by sexual put-down humor from females, but not likely to marry them
• Appreciation of their partner’s humor is indicative of males who are more secure, less intimidated and mature

According to Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, the female brain has the advantage.  Because women are the “choosier sex”, they have a preference for funny men. Funny men represent a certain level of mental ability and by applying their humor and wit they can nose out other competitors.

Well, if we are the “choosier sex” what is it that funny men are doing that actually endears them to us?  Feel free to share your experiences in the Comment section below.

by Joyce Hansen

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