Humor and anxiety: Effects on class test performance

Townsend, Mardie; Mahoney, Peggy

doi:10.1002/1520-6807(198104)18:2<228::aid-pits2310180221>3.0.co;2-n

Cited by 19 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In highly anxious individuals, humor may even have a detrimental effect. For instance, highly anxious students scored lower on a humorous test than on a nonhumorous test, suggesting that anxious people may react negatively to humor (Townsend & Mahoney, 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of other people’s mental states affects humor in social anxiety

Samson

Lackner

Weiss

et al. 2012

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

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a b s t r a c tBackground and objectives: The present study examined the relationship between social anxiety and the appreciation of specific types of humor. It was expected that social anxiety would hinder the enjoyment of jokes particularly if the resolution of incongruity involves processing social cues and assessing the (false) mental states of others. Fifty-six participants rated three types of cartoons and a control condition for comprehensibility and funniness. Results: High degrees of social anxiety were associated with less enjoyment of cartoons that involved the interpretation of others' mental states (Theory of Mind), but not of semantic cartoons or visual puns. Furthermore, high social anxiety was related to longer response latencies of the funniness ratings, especially in the case of Theory of Mind cartoons. Limitations: A possible limitation is that the present study was conducted in individuals with social anxiety in the non-clinical range. Conclusions: The findings suggest that highly socially anxious people do not have a general humor processing deficit, but may feel threatened by tasks involving the mental states of others. The negative affect evoked by TOM humor may hinder the experience of funniness in highly socially anxious individuals, and it may also make it more difficult for them to rate their own amusement.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of other people’s mental states affects humor in social anxiety

Samson

Lackner

Weiss

et al. 2012

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

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“…The humorous cartoons did not have a positive effect on recall. Townsend and Mahoney (1981) examined the effect of humor and anxiety on test results in college classes. They incorporated humor into the course's tests to see if anxiety would decrease and scores would increase.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of humor on learning in a planetarium

Fisher

1997

Sci. Ed.

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The effect of humor on retention of information was examined. The planetarium at COSI, Ohio's Center of Science & Industry in Columbus, was the source of the study. General public museum visitors were the subjects. A total of 495 adult subjects, ages 18 and older, were involved. Subjects were presented with one of two versions of a 15‐minute taped general astronomy show. The two versions were identical except that one had humorous inserts. The humor in the humorous version was related to and integrated with the educational material and was presented at a fast pace. Humor was placed every 90 seconds in the middle of the concept being explained. A total of 20 concepts were described in the show, 10 of which had humorous inserts and which alternated with the 10 nonhumorous concepts. After the show visitors received a 20‐question test to determine their short‐term retention of the information. The questions were taken directly from the show's script. The test was of a fill‐in‐the‐blank format. Results indicated that the visitors who saw a humorous show had less retention of the instructional material and scored lower on the test than visitors who saw a nonhumorous show. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 81:703–713, 1997.

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“…One potentially important variable in individual differences in humor appreciation is gender. The student's degree of anxiety must also be considered (Johnson, 1990;McMorris, Urbach, Q Connor, 1985;Townsend & Mahoney, 1980). Humor Climate and Conditions.…”

Section: Effect Of Humor On Learning In the Educational Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If humor minimizes some of the negative attitudes prompted by testing and reduces the threat in many testing situations, the progress of the test taker and the effectiveness of the instructional program might be depicted more accurately With the inclusion of humor, the whole testing process could be somewhat more humane" (p. 154). Townsend and Mahoney (1980) examined the assumption that the introduction of humor into an academic-test situation would facilitate achevementtest performance for hghly anxious students. The results did not support this thesis.…”

Section: Rosenfeld and Andersonmentioning

confidence: 99%