Science Discovers Flirting

(Photo courtesy permanentlyscatterbrained)

Psychology researchers have determined a new correlation between being attractive and funny.

Previous studies have shown that being funny increases one's attractiveness, but this study shows that it can go the other way, as well.

The general conclusion of the study is that humor is used as a relationship initiator. In other words, the academy has discovered flirting.

There was only one real reference to gender at play. They acknowledge that cracking a joke can be risky- if the joke flops, you're left with awkwardness and discomfort. They suggest that men may have less to lose than women in a botched attempt to hit on someone (evolutionarily speaking), so men are more likely to crack a joke first.

The authors also argue that Humor Studies has been neglected in the field of social psychology. Yes! Absolutely. The lack of study in this area has given rise to too many mediocre studies leading the pack (my personal favorite).