Men can actually laugh women into bed; A good sense of humor makes men seem smarter and more likely to make a lot of money.
One study recruited 162 women for a speed dating-style experiment in which they were shown photographs of six men.
Each man was said to have made an “ice-breaker” statement, which was either a funny joke, an unfunny joke, or a lame statement about his favorite color or pizza.
All of the men looked similar and had been chosen because women rated them as moderately attractive.
But when women thought the man in the photo had made a funny joke, they were much more likely to say they would give him their phone number.
Women not only prefer funny men: they also think they are smarter and earn more (file image)
Unfortunately, among men who weren’t blessed with a killer wit, unfunny men were no more likely to get a woman’s phone number than those who made no attempt at humor, the study found.
A later experiment showed why fun guys might get the girl.
When 81 women were asked to judge photographs of eight men, half of whom had made a funny joke, while the other half had made an unfunny joke, they generally rated the funny men as more intelligent.
They also rated them as having higher earning potential than ungraceful men.
Dr Mitch Brown, who led the University of Arkansas study, said: “Funny men may appear more competent to women, as evidenced by the fact that women perceived them as more intelligent in their study.”
When women thought the man in the photo had made a funny joke, they were much more likely to say they would give him their phone number.
“If women believe that’s the case, they might believe that men will do better in their careers, meet more people, know how to play, and make more money.”
The study, published in the journal Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, says that men use humor as a way to signal to women that they are interested and to connect with them by laughing together.
READ MORE: Men who rely on their sense of humor to win over their partners with cheeky antics
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Women also seem to appreciate an attempt at humor by men, even if it backfires: The study found that they rated funny and unfunny men similarly on their agreeableness.
However, the experiment with 162 women found that women expected men to be more successful at attracting a mate if they were fun.
The women were asked to rate the men’s friendliness, their potential dating success, and the likelihood that they would give them their phone number after seeing the photographs and statements the men had apparently made.
There is a risk of men cracking jokes, as this could make them seem warm, friendly and like good boyfriend material, or it could backfire and make them seem like unreliable show-offs who are interested in playing the field.
To test what women’s opinions were, researchers asked 108 women to rate men with funny, unfunny statements about whether they would choose them for a long-term relationship.
Funny men were preferred for long-term relationships, suggesting they are seen as good, committed partners.
They were also preferred by women for short relationships, although with less advantage over unfun men.
The “funny” men in the study were made statements that women previously considered funny, such as: “The past, present and future were arguing.” It was tense.’
Another example included: “Cremation: my only hope for a burning body.”
They told the unfunny men jokes like: ‘What do you call a tiger with glasses?’ A scientific tiger.’
Women seem to like a good sense of humor, but good looks still seem to be important, as a group of 141 women typically rated funny men as even more desirable when their photo was attractive rather than unattractive.
