Health Message Outcomes of Humor Appeals: A Systematic Review.

In 30 seconds

This PRISMA-guided systematic review assessed humor appeals in health communication, including their effects on message processing, attitudes, and behavior, as well as factors that may shape those effects. It synthesized 48 eligible articles reporting 62 experimental studies that manipulated humorous messages. The review found that humor appeals influence attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, but their usefulness depends on the audience and health context. The authors identify potential benefits for audiences with limited motivation or ability to process messages and for easing distress related to health conditions or treatments, while cautioning against use in several higher-risk contexts.

Key findings

• The review included 48 eligible articles presenting 62 experimental studies of manipulated humorous health messages.
• Humor appeals influenced attitudinal and behavioral message outcomes, with effects shaped by audience and health context.
• Fear arousal, anxiety, argument strength, and reactance were identified as intervening processes in message processing and persuasion.
• Humor appeared particularly useful for audiences with limited motivation or ability to process messages and for defusing distress related to health conditions or treatments.

Why it matters

Humor may help health messages engage audiences who are less able or motivated to process information and may reduce distress associated with illness or treatment. However, its effects are not uniform: audience characteristics, condition severity, and emotional responses can alter message processing and persuasion. These findings support considering humor as a context-dependent communication strategy rather than a universally suitable approach.

What to keep in mind

The review reports findings across experimental studies but does not provide a single pooled effect estimate in the abstract; effects may vary across audiences, messages, and health contexts.