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Numerous studies have pointed to a gap between the attitudes people express about the natural environment and their subsequent behaviors toward that environment. Variables identified within these studies include: how significant others view behaviors related to the attitudes; demographic variables such as sex, age or education; self-perceived ability to do the attitude-related behavior; attitude strength; and personal relevance of the attitude. This study proposes the concept of environmental desirability responding (EDR) as another factor which might contribute to the attitude-behavior discrepancy. The development and construct validation of the Environmentally Desirable Response Scale (EDRS), which is designed to identify the existence and level of EDR, is described. The EDRS contains items designed to measure two types of socially desirable responding -'Self-deception' and 'Image management'. A total of 1024 usable data sets were obtained from a sample of respondents in several countries (Japan, the US and Australia). Principal factors and correlation analyses revealed that the EDRS comprises three factors identified as 'Self-deception/Assertion of positives', 'Image management' and 'Self-deception/Denial of negatives'. Cronbach alpha estimates of reliability for the three factors were .74, .66, and .61. Suggestions for further research regarding the scale and EDR are offered.

It is widely reported that humorous ads are better liked and therefore more effective than are non-humorous ones. This study examines whether the liking advantage associated with ads containing incongruity-resolution humor depends on sensation seeking. Higher sensation seekers are assumed to enjoy arousal induction because they are lower in base arousal level. From this it can be predicted that ads containing incongruity-resolution humor will not be liked better by such people than will equivalently arousing non-humorous ads. However, the higher base arousal assumed to characterize lower sensation seekers is claimed to be associated with a preference for reduction of induced arousal. Incongruity-resolution humor provides a mechanism for reduction of the arousal occasioned by the incongruity. As a result, it is expected that lower sensation seekers will like ads containing such humor more than non-humorous ads matched in arousal to the humorous ones. The results support those suggestions. The relevance of the findings for advertising is discussed, and requirements for further research are indicated.

The results of numerous empirical studies, which are examined in this article, indicate that, in general, humor can beneficially influence mental health. Specifically, it has been observed that humor äs a response (e.g., laughter) is associated with a reduction in some existing mental health Problems, whereas humor äs a psychological process (sense of humor) appears to moderate the perceived intensity of negative life events. Several suggestions are provided about how these different kinds of humor might occasion their effects. A number of issues are also identified that warrant further empirical examination. These include whether, and if so how, the relationships between humor and mental health are affected by individual difference variables, (e.g., personality, gender, extent of actual effect of negative life events, degree of appreciation of humorous experimental Stimuli); how much each of the above mentioned types of humor contribute to effects observed in any given Situation; how the relationships in question are affected by different kinds of humorous Stimuli; and various aspects of the broader experimental context.In the humor literature, various theoretical and empirical analyses are evident regarding the relationship between certain aspects of humor, on the one band, and psychological and physical states of a person on the other. One possible connection is that components of humor are the effects of such states. Psychological or physical conditions which have been claimed to be related to humor in that way include: depression (McGhee 1979;Nussbaum and Michaux 1963); autism (St. James and Tager-Flusberg 1994); focal right-orbitofrontal parenchymal lesion (Vardi et al. 1994); borderline personality disorder (Bond et al. 1994); hysteria, undifferentiated, and

This study examines the relationship between trait Neuroticism and appreciation of humor structure (incongruity-resolution and nonsense humor). Higher levels of Neuroticism are associated with increased anxiety, and more anxious people are known to dislike novel situations more than less anxious individuals do. Given that nonsense humor is an instance of a novel state of affairs, it was predicted that increases in Neuroticism would be associated with a decreased preference (indicated by funniness ratings) for nonsense humor compared to humor in which the incongruity is fully resolved. Results obtained from a total of 107 participants (34 males and 73 females) supported that prediction. It is argued that these results, as well as those which indicate associations between humor structure preferences and various other personality constructs, can be accounted for by reference to an individual's trait and/or state arousal levels. Implications of the findings for theories of humor are examined.