Sense of humor across cultures: a comparison of British, Australian and American respondents

Although humor is considered to be a construct that exists across cultures and nations, there is some evidence that cultures and nations may differ in their self-reported sense of humor and use of humor. However, little research exists. In the current study, we investigated whether differences or similarities existed in British, American and Australian men and women’s sense of humor, measured via the multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS). It was found that British respondents’ attitudes toward humorous people were significantly more negative than were those of Australian participants. American participants reported using humor more frequently in social situations than did British participants. As predicted, self-reported humor production was greater in men than women, but no interaction with culture was found. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.