Sex differences in resting-state fMRI functional connectivity related to humor styles

Chia-Yueh Chang; Yu-Chen Chan; I-Fei Chen; Hsueh-Chih Chen

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.108983

Sex differences in resting-state fMRI functional connectivity related to humor styles

Biol Psychol. 2025 Jan 8:108983. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.108983. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chia-Yueh Chang¹, Yu-Chen Chan², I-Fei Chen³, Hsueh-Chih Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ De(p)artment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Institute of Learning Sciences and Technologies, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300043, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, University of Ottawa, Ottawa 1145, Canada; School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa 136, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ De(p)artment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan; Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan; Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan; Social Emotional Education and Development Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39793726
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.108983

Abstract

Research on how functional connectivity (FC) during resting-state relates to humor styles and sex is limited. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by analyzing resting-state fMRI data from 56 healthy participants and measuring FC. In addition, participants completed the Humor Styles Questionnaire. We found distinct FC patterns linked to humor styles that differed by sex. Men demonstrated stronger FC between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the right anterior insula (rAI), right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and right frontal pole (rFP), and between the right rostral prefrontal cortex (rRPFC) and rIFG. These patterns were associated with aggressive and self-enhancing humor. Conversely, women exhibited stronger FC between rRPFC and the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), left rostral prefrontal cortex (lRPFC) and right thalamus, correlating with self-defeating and less aggressive humor. These findings suggest a neurobiological basis for sex differences in humor, indicating that men's FC between the salience network (SN), particularly in cognitive monitoring regions, may be linked to aggressive humor. Their FC between the executive control network (ECN) and between the SN and ECN are related to self-enhancing humor and reflect an emphasis on executive function. Conversely, women's FC between the SN and default mode network is correlated with self-defeating humor, suggesting a stronger focus on self-reflection and social relationships.

Keywords: functional connectivity; humor styles; rs-fMRI; salience networks; sex differences.