On average, men seem to have a higher humor production ability than women, says study.
A new study has found that on average, men seem to have a higher humor production ability than women.
A new meta-analysis has found that difference may reflect both evolutionary and environmental influences.
A research titled “Sex differences in humor production ability: A meta-analysis” said that humor plays a major role in mating, with a strong evolutionary basis, as humor is strongly correlated with intelligence.
The study said, the researchers offer the first systematic quantitative meta-analysis on sex differences in humor production ability.
They also included studies where participants created humor output that was assessed for funniness by independent raters.
Their meta-analysis includes 36 effect sizes from 28 studies published between 1976 and 2018.
Results based on random-effects model revealed that men’s humor output was rated as funnier than women’s, with a combined effect size d = 0.321.
Results were robust across various moderators and study characteristics, and multiple tests indicated that publication bias is unlikely, it said.
It further said, both evolutionary and cultural explanations were considered and discussed.
