SHORT-TERM MOOD CHANGE, PERCEIVED FUNNINESS, AND THE EFFECT OF HUMOR STIMULI

Two studies investigating humor are reported in this article. The firs t study demonstrated a reduction in ratings of state anxiety following exposure to a humor stimulus. Reduction in ratings of state depressio n depended on participants' initial scores and the perceived funniness of the humor stimulus. The second study demonstrated reductions in th e perceived funniness of cartoons when participants identified with th e protagonist but only, it seemed, when the protagonist was also a ''v ictim'' in the cartoon scenario. Issues associated with humor are comp lex, but the present results suggest that humor may be of benefit when short-term mood changes are desirable, if individual differences are taken into account.