Sense of humour changes as you age

WASHINGTON: Depending on your age, you may or may not find certain types of humour funny, especially if it pokes fun at others, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of Akron in the US found that TV sitcoms in which characters make jokes at someone else's expense are no laughing matter for older adults.

Jennifer Tehan Stanley, an assistant professor of psychology, studied how young, middle-aged and older adults reacted to so-called "aggressive humour" - the kind that is a staple on shows like 'The Office'.

By showing clips from 'The Office' and other sitcoms ('Golden Girls', 'Mr Bean', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm') to adults of varying ages, she and colleagues at two other universities found that young and middle-aged adults considered aggressive humour to be funny while older adults did not.

The older adults preferred "affiliative humour," in which a number of characters share and navigate an awkward situation.

The study raises some intriguing questions about our concept of what is funny, researchers said.

Stanley and her co-authors, Monika Lohani of Brandeis University and Derek M Isaacowitz of Northeastern University, published their findings in the journal Psychology and Aging.