Effects of Humor in Task-Oriented Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Direct Test of SRCT Theory

Little published research exists on whether humor is a positive or a negative in task-oriented human-computer interaction (HCI). The prevailing notion is that humor distracts users, wastes their time, and may cause them to take their work less seriously. Two experiments examined the effects of humor in task situations involving HCI and computer-mediated communication (CMC). The studies used the same two-condition (humor or control) between-subjects design and essentially the same experimental method. Thus, data from the studies can be compared in a direct test of the social responses to communication technologies (SRCT) claim that people respond to humans and computers in identical ways. In the first experiment, participants worked on a task, ostensibly with another person in a different room, via a networked computer (CMC). All participants received pre-programmed comments, differing only in whether they contained humor. Humor participants rated the "other person" as more likable and reported greater cooperation with and similarity to this other person. They also made more jokes and responded more sociably. Task time and the amount of effort participants put into the task were unaffected by humor. In the second experiment, participants were told they were interacting with a computer in another room (HCI). The results from Experiment 2 were generally consistent with those from Experiment 1; however, HCI participants were less sociable, demonstrated less mirth, felt less similar to their interaction partner, and spent less time on the task. The results suggest both that humor may enhance likability of an interface and that SRCT theory should be revised. Implications for user-interface design and guidelines for the use of humor in HCI are discussed.