Making sense of humor in young romantic relationships: Understanding partners' perceptions

Humor is perceived by romantic couples to be an important component of their relationships. Various studies have stressed the emphasis that single individuals in this society place on sense of humor when selecting a mate, and humor's importance to couples' interactions in successful relationships. These findings paint an intriguing picture of the role of partners' senses of humor in the relationships of romantic couples. But what do people see as being indicative of sense of humor? The current project uses interview, data to reveal,what young adults in romantic relationships report when prompted to provide examples of "sense of humor.'' Participants' descriptions of their own and their partners' sense of humor are also probed. The contents of these collective responses ave then compared to the existing literature to assess the salience of researchers theoretically, derived conceptualizations of "sense of humor" to laypersons interpretations. The implications for humor researchers and scholars of close relationships are discussed.