Demographic differences in humour measurements: if it's male, managed but not mature, is it work humour?

The prevailing notion of an individual having a distinct humour style, closely related to personality and enduring over a range of contexts (e.g Thorson and Powell,1993) is challenged in this comparative analysis of demographic factors in the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ - Martin et al., 2003) and scales from the longer form of the Humour at Work (HAW) scale. A sample of Australian workers responded to both the HSQ and the HAW and their details of gender, position and age were recorded. Controlling for age, contrasts to Martin’s findings were found. These may reflect different uses of humour in the workplace. Scales of the long HAW were analyzed, controlling for age. Gender was a main effect for 'Gossip' and 'Stirring' and a main effect of position was marginally significant for 'Sharing'. The most intriguing finding involved an interaction between position and gender for the scale 'Stirring' of the HAW.