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Sex Conflict and Impressions of Managers’ Aggressive Humor

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Abstract

Business students evaluated aggressive humor used by a hypothetical manager in an organizational case. In general, males judged the humor funnier and more appropriate in the context than did females. Some evidence supporting the intergroup-conflict theory of humor was obtained because funniness ratings were higher when victim sex and manager sex were opposite. Males rated the humor more appropriate when subordinate (audience) and victim sexes were opposite, while females did not. Males thus seemed to believe others held views consistent with sex-conflict theory. Males rated humor with a male aggressor more appropriate, suggesting males have a more traditional, sex-stereotyped view of aggressive humor than do females. Males and females agreed in rating the male manager and female subordinate as the manager sex-subordinate sex combination for which the humor was least appropriate. These findings may reflect the subjects’ tendencies to use humor when they assume managerial positions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Perdue School of Business, Salisbury State College, Salisbury, MD, 21801, USA

    Wayne H. Decker

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  1. Wayne H. Decker
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Support for this article was received from the Franklin P. Perdue Fund, Salisbury State College Foundation.

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Decker, W.H. Sex Conflict and Impressions of Managers’ Aggressive Humor. Psychol Rec 36, 483–490 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394968

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