Blank A M, Tweedale M, Cappelli M, Ryback D
Percept Mot Skills. 1983 Aug;57(1):103-6. doi: 10.2466/pms.1983.57.1.103.
Previous research and theory suggest that a person's anxiety level plays a functional role in determining his responsiveness to and appreciation of humor. Based upon the theoretical view that humor serves to dissipate anxiety, it was proposed that highly anxious individuals would respond more favourably to a therapist's use of humor than low trait-anxiety individuals. To test the hypothesis 87 undergraduate students in psychology were classified according to their measured level of trait anxiety (high or low, on the Spielberger Trait-Anxiety Inventory). Subjects evaluated a therapist who used humor in a written therapist-client dialogue. Results were contrary to prediction; an inverse relation between anxiety and appreciation of humor obtained.
先前的研究和理论表明，一个人的焦虑水平在决定其对幽默的反应和欣赏程度方面发挥着功能性作用。基于幽默有助于消除焦虑的理论观点，有人提出，高焦虑个体比低特质焦虑个体对治疗师使用幽默的反应更积极。为了验证这一假设，根据87名心理学本科生在斯皮尔伯格特质焦虑量表上测得的特质焦虑水平（高或低）进行了分类。受试者在一段书面的治疗师-客户对话中对一位使用幽默的治疗师进行了评价。结果与预测相反；焦虑与幽默欣赏之间呈负相关。
