title: To Be or Not To Be Humorous? Cross Cultural Perspectives on Humor.
abstract: Humor seems to manifest differently in Western and Eastern cultures, although little is known about how culture shapes humor perceptions. The authors suggest that Westerners regard humor as a common and positive disposition; the Chinese regard humor as a special disposition particular to humorists, with controversial aspects. In Study 1, Hong Kong participants primed with Western culture evaluate humor more positively than they do when primed with Chinese culture. In Study 2a, Canadians evaluate humor as being more important in comparison with Chinese participants. In Study 2b, Canadians expect ordinary people to possess humor, while Chinese expect specialized comedians to be humorous. The implications and limitations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Science, City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Department of Organization and Human Resources Management, Central University of Finance and Economics Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Resources Management, University of International Business and Economics Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Science, City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiranandani
keywords: Chinese; Western; cultural priming; humor evaluation; humor perception