Editing Humour (section)

=== Physical attractiveness ===
Humour is considered attractive for males in Western cultures. In the mid-20th century, a majority of American college students reported that having a sense of humour is a crucial characteristic looked for in a romantic partner.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Student perceptions of traits desired in themselves as dating and marriage partners|last = Hewitt|first = L.|date = 1958|journal = Marriage and Family Living|doi = 10.2307/348256|volume=20|issue = 4|pages=344–349|jstor = 348256}}</ref> In the late-20th century, British college students reported humour and honesty as the two most important attributes in a significant other.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Sex differences among partner preferences: Are the sexes really very similar?|last = Goodwin|first = R.|date = 1990|journal = Sex Roles|doi = 10.1007/bf00289765|volume=23|issue = 9–10|pages=501–513|s2cid = 145748159}}</ref> Humour becomes more evident and significantly more important as the level of commitment in a romantic relationship increases.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Evolution, traits, and the stages of the parental investment model|author = Kenrick, Sadalla, Groth, Trost|date = 1990|journal = Journal of Personality|doi = 10.1111/j.1467-6494.1990.tb00909.x|pmid = 23750377|volume=58 |issue = 1|pages=97–116}}</ref> Recent research suggests expressions of humour in relation to [[physical attractiveness]] are two major factors in the desire for future interaction.<ref name=":0" /> [[Self-deprecating humour]] has been found to increase one's desirability and physical attractiveness to others for committed relationships.<ref name=":0" /> Women regard physical attractiveness less highly compared to men when it came to dating, a serious relationship, and sexual intercourse.<ref name=":0" /> However, women rate humorous men more desirable than nonhumorous individuals for a serious relationship or marriage, but only when these men were physically attractive.<ref name=":0" /> 

While humorous people may be considered attractive, humorous people are also perceived by others to be less intellectual than nonhumorous people. When women were given the forced-choice design in the study, they chose funny men as potential relationship partners even though they rated them as being less honest and intelligent.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last=Bressler, Balshine |date=2006 |title=The influence of humour on desirability |journal=Evolution and Human Behavior |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=29–39 |bibcode=2006EHumB..27...29B |doi=10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2005.06.002 |s2cid=44859626}}</ref> Post-Hoc analysis showed no relationship between humour quality and favourable judgments.<ref name=":1" />

For females, the results of a study conducted by [[McMaster University]] suggest humour can positively affect one's desirability for a specific relationship partner, but this effect is only most likely to occur when men use humour and are evaluated by women.<ref name=":1" /> There is inconsistent evidence whether men prefer women with a sense of humour as partners, or women preferring other women with a sense of humour as potential partners.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Hatfield |first1=Elaine |last2=Sprecher |first2=Susan |date=1995-11-01 |title=Men's and Women's Preferences in Marital Partners in the United States, Russia, and Japan |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002202219502600613 |journal=Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology |language=en |volume=26 |issue=6 |pages=728–750 |doi=10.1177/002202219502600613 |issn=0022-0221|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> 

Outside of Western cultures, however, humour is not always valued as much in mate selection. Studies conducted in East Asia find humour ranked lower among other traits than in western cultures, especially by men evaluating women.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lu |first=Yunhang |date=2023-02-01 |title=The criteria of Chinese and South Koreans' mate selection: A comparative study of long-term and short-term mate selection preferences in the cross-cultural perspective |journal=Heliyon |language=English |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=e13329 |doi=10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13329 |doi-access=free |pmid=36816318 |pmc=9932458 |bibcode=2023Heliy...913329L |issn=2405-8440}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> In some studies of mate selection criteria, humour does not even make the list.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Hong |last2=Teng |first2=Fei |last3=Chan |first3=Darius K.-S. |last4=Zhang |first4=Denghao |date=2014-01-01 |title=Physical Attractiveness, Attitudes toward Career, and Mate Preferences among Young Chinese Women |journal=Evolutionary Psychology |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=97–114 |doi=10.1177/147470491401200107 |issn=1474-7049 |pmc=10480862 |pmid=24525338}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=政大機構典藏-National Chengchi University Institutional Repository(NCCUR):Item 140.119/49980 |url=https://nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw/ir/handle/140.119/49980 |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw}}</ref>