Though it has been widely speculated that a funny man is able to get more women, researchers have determined that the opposite might also be true.
It seems that the more attractive a person is, the funnier they are thought to be, according to a new study by the University of Stirling.
Psychologists found through the study that attractive people were perceived as funnier when participants could see what they looked like.
The study consisted of undergraduate psychology students who were asked what two items they would bring to a desert island and why. Researchers recorded their responses.
Though the students weren’t told the study was about humor, most of them attempted to give funny answers.
Other participants were asked to view the recordings and rate them on wit and how attractive they might be for a short-term or long-term relationship.
They found that the attractive people were rated as funnier than the less attractive participants.
Participants also thought the funnier men were ideal for a short-term romance.
Researchers suspected this might be because wit and humor gives off the impression of not being serious or willing to commit.
Those who were videotaped were also generally considered funnier than those who only had their voices recorded and submitted a photo of themselves.
Psychologists theorized that men in particular use comedy as a mating signal, as it shows off their intelligence and good genes to women.
Another theory is that we use comedy to indicate sexual interest in other people.
There have been various studies on comedy’s part in romance, and it’s difficult to tell what types of jokes women prefer. But one 2011 study found women were more attracted to men who used dry, sarcastic humor.
And despite the man’s attractiveness, women consistently rank “humor” as one of their top “wants” in a man. In one survey by Men’s Health of more than 1,000 women ages 21 to 54, 77 percent said humor was their number one must have in a man, beating intelligence, passion, confidence, and generosity.