Extraversion, alcohol, and enjoyment

Abstract

The present experiment examines the effects of extraversion and consumption of alcohol on facial and verbal indicators of humor-induced positive affect. Sixty one female students were placed into one of three alcohol conditions (no ethanol, low dose, high dose) and were exposed to 30 slides containing jokes or cartoons. Facial measurements of smiling and laughter, funniness and aversiveness of the humorous stimuli, and mood dimensions served as dependent variables. Extraversion predicted both the frequency and intensity of facial exhilaration. Extraversion also moderated the effects of alcohol. Extraverts showed less verbal and facial exhilaration in the high alcohol condition than in the no alcohol condition. A low dose of alcohol increased the ambiverts' facial enjoyment but-contrary to the expectations based on the Eysenckian drug postulate-the introverts' verbal and facial behavior was not affected by alcohol consumption. The effects of extraversion and alcohol on humor-induced exhilaration seemed to be mediated by differences in positive affectivity. The verification of most of the tested hypotheses was contingent on the separation of enjoyment and non-enjoyment displays.