Humor and ad liking: Evidence that sensation seeking moderates the effects of incongruity‐resolution humor

Abstract It is widely reported that humorous ads are better liked and therefore more effective than are non‐humorous ones. This study examines whether the liking advantage associated with ads containing incongruity‐resolution humor depends on sensation seeking. Higher sensation seekers are assumed to enjoy arousal induction because they are lower in base arousal level. From this it can be predicted that ads containing incongruity‐resolution humor will not be liked better by such people than will equivalently arousing non‐humorous ads. However, the higher base arousal assumed to characterize lower sensation seekers is claimed to be associated with a preference for reduction of induced arousal. Incongruity‐resolution humor provides a mechanism for reduction of the arousal occasioned by the incongruity. As a result, it is expected that lower sensation seekers will like ads containing such humor more than non‐humorous ads matched in arousal to the humorous ones. The results support those suggestions. The relevance of the findings for advertising is discussed, and requirements for further research are indicated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.