EPSY Brown Bag 2006

Rho-Bustness of Research on Humor in Teaching and Testing: What We Have Learned from Research and Practice

Robert F. McMorris, Temi Bidjerano, and Asil Ali Özdoğru

In an attempt to outline the research done by Robert McMorris and colleagues, several studies looking at the influence of humor on instruction and testing were revisited. Performance and self-report outcomes within each of the two domains were discussed along with corresponding studies. While studies on the effect of humor in learning yielded non-significant results, inclusion of humor in classroom tests to improve test scores and to reduce test anxiety produced inconsistent results. Student perceptions, however, consistently supported the use of humor in education. Methodological considerations and their effects on the findings of the studies have been discussed in the light of researcher-developed concept of rho-bustness.

Keywords: Humor in education, learning, testing, rho-bustness

Citation: McMorris, R. F., Bidjerano, T., & Özdoğru, A. A. (2006, February). Rho-bustness of research on humor in teaching and testing: What we have learned from research and practice. Invited talk at the Brown Bag seminar of the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University at Albany, Albany, NY.