A person's age can influence how receptive they are to certain types of humour, a new study has found.
According to research by the University of Akron, young and middle-aged adults often find aggressive humour - jokes at someone else's expense - on TV sitcoms funny.
However, the study revealed that older people do not find these kinds of jokes amusing, instead preferring humour when characters have to overcome a difficult situation together.
Scientists behind the research believe the findings, published in Psychology and Aging, raise some "intriguing questions about our concept of what is funny".
For instance, they said some might interpret the findings to believe people's concept of what is funny is based on factors specific to their generation.
However, they suggested it could also mean people's sense of humour evolves over a period of time.
The research involved measuring participants' reactions to clips on TV sitcoms including The Office, Mr Bean and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Dr Michael Apter, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, comments:
"According to one theory of humour (Reversal Theory), the things that people find most funny are the very things that worry them the most. Humour is one of a number of mechanisms identified in the theory that convert the anxiety caused by threat into pleasurably high arousal. It is not surprising therefore that people in different age groups find different things funny, given that different aspects of life are likely to be troublesome for them.
"Thus young men and women trying to establish themselves and their careers frequently find themselves in highly competitive situations in which they have to act aggressively, or react to the aggression of others. Middle-aged and elderly people are more concerned with being parts of social and family networks, and feel threatened above all by the possibility of a loss of caring and love.
"This is what seems to be reflected in the contrasting kinds of humour enjoyed at these two age levels. Each converts its particular worries into its preferred form of humor. (Exactly how it does this is elucidated in Reversal Theory. See my forthcoming book 'Zigzag'.)"
SOURCE:
http://www.bps.org.uk/news/our-sense-humour-varies-age(accessed 10.10.14)
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