GENDER AND CROSS CULTURAL COMPARISON OF A SENSE OF HUMOUR

Abstract

The study reports a first investigation of the humour construct as understood by 119 Singaporean undergraduates. A brief summary of some of the major theories is given with gender and cultural difference as the major emphasis of study. Martin & Lefcourt's Situational Humour Response Questionnaire (1984) and Coping Humour Scale (1983), Ziv's Creation & Appreciation Scale cf Humour (1985). a sociometrlc peer rating of subject's sense of humour and a series of open-ended questions were the tools for discovery. Results obtained were compared cross culturally with some US and Israeli data. The findings support both the notion of universality in humour and of situational specificity. Between genders. differences were small and an underlying pattern of similarity could be seen. Support is given for the “egalitarian hypothesis”. The findings are discussed in terms of what Singaporeans consider a sense of humour. what and who Singaporeans laugh at and what functions humour plays in this society. Some future directions ore offered.