Humor ability reveals intelligence, predicts mating success, and is higher in males

Intelligence

Volumn 39, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 188-192

  Greengross, Gil ^a   Miller, Geoffrey ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO   (United States)

Author keywords

Evolutionary psychology; Humor; Intelligence; Mating; Mental fitness indicator; Sex differences

Indexed keywords

EID: 79957655932     PISSN: 01602896     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2011.03.006     Document Type: Article

References (34)

1. Apte M.L. Humor and laughter: An anthropological approach 1985, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.
2. Arden R., Gottfredson L.S., Miller G., Pierce A. Intelligence and semen quality are positively correlated. Intelligence 2008, 37:277-282.
3. Banks G.C., Batchelor J.H., McDaniel M.A. Smarter people are (a bit) more symmetrical: A meta-analysis of the relationship between intelligence and fluctuating asymmetry. Intelligence 2010, 38:393-401.
4. Bressler E., Balshine S. The influence of humor on desirability. Evolution and Human Behavior 2006, 27:29-39.
5. Bressler E., Martin R.A., Balshine S. Production and appreciation of humor as sexually selected traits. Evolution and Human Behavior 2006, 27:121-130.
6. Buss D.M. Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1989, 12:1-49.
7. Carless S.A. The validity of scores on the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery. Educational and Psychological Measurement 2000, 60:592-603.
8. Chafe W. Humor as a disabling mechanism. The American Behavioral Scientist 1987, 30:16-26.
9. Darwin C. The expression of the emotions in man and animals 1872, John Murray, London England.
10. Feingold A., Mazzella R. Psychometric intelligence and verbal humor ability. Personality & Individual Differences 1991, 12:427-435.
11. Feingold A., Mazzella R. Preliminary validation of a multidimensional model of wittiness. Journal of Personality 1993, 61:439-456.
12. Gervais M., Wilson D.S. The evolution and functions of laughter and humor: a synthetic approach. The Quarterly Review of Biology 2005, 80:395-430.
13. Gottfredson L.S., Deary I.J. Intelligence predicts health and longevity, but why?. Current Directions in Psychological Science 2004, 13:1-4.
14. Greengross G., Miller G.F. Dissing oneself versus dissing rivals: Effects of status, personality, and sex on the short-term and long-term attractiveness of self-deprecating and other-deprecating humor. Evolutionary Psychology 2008, 6:393-408.
15. Howrigan D.P., MacDonald K.B. Humor as a mental fitness indicator. Evolutionary Psychology 2008, 6:652-666.
16. Jackson D.N. Multidimensional Aptitude Battery: Manual 1984, Research Psychologists Press, Port Huron, MI.
17. Jensen A.R. The g factor: The science of mental ability 1998, Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, CT US.
18. Kaufman S.B., Kozbelt A., Bromley M.L., Geher G., Miller G. The role of creativity and humor in human mate selection. Mating intelligence: Sex, relationships, and the mind's reproductive system 2008, 227-262. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, Mahwah, NJ, US. G. Geher, G. Miller (Eds.).
19. Langlois J.H., Kalakanis L., Rubenstein A.J., Larson A., Hallam M., Smoot M. Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin 2000, 126:390-423.
20. Li N.P., Griskevicius V., Durante K.M., Jonason P.K., Pasisz D.J., Aumer K. An evolutionary perspective on humor: sexual selection or interest indication?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2009, 35:923-936.
21. Lundy D.E., Tan J., Cunningham M.R. Heterosexual romantic preferences: the importance of humor and physical attractiveness for different types of relationships. Personal Relationships 1998, 5:311-325.
22. Masten A.S. Humor and competence in school-aged children. Child Development 1986, 57:461-473.
23. Miller G. The mating mind: How sexual selection shaped the evolution of human nature 2000, Anchor books, New York.
24. Miller G. Sexual selection for moral virtues. The Quarterly Review of Biology 2007, 82:97-125.
25. Moss F.A., Hunt T., Omwake K.T., Woodward L.G. Manual for the George Washington University Series Social Intelligence Test 1955, Center for Psychological Service, Washington, D.C.
26. O'Quin K., Derks P. Humor and creativity: A review of the empirical literature. Creativity research handbook 1997, vol. 1:223-252. Hampton Press, Cresskill, NJ.
27. Plomin R., Spinath F.M. Intelligence: genetics, genes, and genomics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2004, 86:112-129.
28. Provine R. Laughter: A scientific investigation 2000, Viking, New York.
29. Simpson J.A., Gangestad S.W. Individual differences in sociosexuality: Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1991, 60:870-883.
30. Smith J.E., Waldorf V.A., Trembath D.L. Single white male looking for thin, very attractive... Sex Roles 1990, 23:675-685.
31. Sprecher S., Regan P.C. Liking some things (in some people) more than others: Partner preferences in romantic relationships and friendships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 2002, 19:463-481.
32. Vernon P., Martin R.A., Schermer J.A., Mackie A. A behavioral genetic investigation of humor styles and their correlations with the big-5 personality dimensions. Personality and Individual Differences 2008, 44:1116-1125.
33. Wechsler D. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised 1981, Psychological Corporation, New York.
34. Winfred A., Day D. Development of a short form for the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices Test. Educational and Psychological Measurement 1994, 54:394-403.