Effects of successful and unsuccessful attempts at humor in human-computer interaction and computer-mediated communication

Studies of interpersonal interaction show that using humor can increase one's likability, promote cooperation, and have other "positive" effects. But do such outcomes occur in task-oriented computer-mediated communication (CMC) and human-computer interaction (HCI)? Four experiments were conducted to elucidate the effects of successful and unsuccessful attempts at humor in these cases.; Experiment 1a and Experiment 1b each had a 2-condition (successful humor or control) between-subjects design. In Experiment 1a (N = 28), participants performed a task, ostensibly with another person in a different room, via a networked computer (CMC). All participants received preprogrammed comments, differing only in whether humorous remarks were inserted. Successful-humor participants rated the "other person" as more likable and competent, and reported greater cooperation with and similarity to their partner than did control participants. Successful-humor participants also made more jokes, responded more sociably, and demonstrated more mirth. Humor had no effect on participants' task time or the "other person's" persuasiveness. Experiment 1b used the same general method as Experiment 1a, but participants were told they were interacting with a computer in another room (HCI). The Experiment 1b findings were generally consistent with those from 1a, the research literature on humor, and the "social responses to communication technologies" (SRCT) model.; The next two experiments replicated and extended the first two, with additional measures and conditions in which unfunny jokes were presented. Results from the CMC study, Experiment 2a (N = 38), were mostly consistent with those from Experiment 1a, and they showed few differences between measures for the unsuccessful-humor and control groups. New measures showed no effects for negative affect or recall memory, but the unsuccessful-humor group responded more unsociably than the others. The Experiment 2b results were generally consistent with those from 2a and the SRCT model.; Comparisons of the data from the HCI and CMC experiments showed that compared to HCI participants, CMC participants felt more similar to their interaction partner, were more sociable, demonstrated more mirth and more negative affect, and liked their partner less, suggesting a revision to the SRCT model.; The study's implications for communication, social psychology, and interaction design are discussed.