People were relatively modest and self-critical about their ideas’ funniness; women rated their responses as less funny; & people showed some discernment and insight into their ideas’ funniness

If You’re Funny and You Know It: Personality, Gender, and People’s Ratings of Their Attempts at Humor. Paul J. Silvia et al. Journal of Research in Personality, March 19 2021, 104089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104089

Rolf Degen's take: Although people consider themselves "funnier than average", they are relatively modest and self-critical about their own jokes’ funniness

Highlights

• In seven studies (n = 1,133), adults rated the funniness of their attempts at humor.

• People were relatively modest and self-critical about their ideas’ funniness.

• Extraversion and openness to experience predicted rating one’s responses as funnier.

• Women rated their responses as less funny.

• People showed some discernment and insight into their ideas’ funniness.

Abstract:  seven studies (n = 1,133), adults tried to create funny ideas and then rated the funniness of their responses, which were also independently rated by judges. In contrast to the common “funnier than average” effect found for global self-ratings, people were relatively modest and self-critical about their specific ideas. Extraversion (r = .12 [.07, .18], k =7) and openness to experience (r = .09 [.03, .15], k = 7) predicted rating one’s responses as funnier; women rated their responses as less funny (d = -.28 [-.37, -.19], k = 7). The within-person correlation between self and judge ratings was small but significant (r = .13 [.07, .19], k = 7), so people had some insight into their ideas’ funniness.

Keywords: humorcomedycreativitypersonalitygenderdiscernment