This study investigated the client's perception of the therapist using three types of clinical humor: appropriate, inappropriate, and no humor. These humor conditions were interspersed within identical scripts, which were enacted and videotaped The hypotheses were that: (1) the therapist using appropriate humor would elicit the most positive response, (2) the male subjects would more appreciate clinical humor use, and (3) the male therapist using appropriate humor would be rated the most positively One hundred and twenty subjects used the Counselor Rating Scale by Barak and LaCrosse, to evaluate the video therapist. All subjects had previous therapy experience Appropriate humor did not elicit a more positive score than the use of no humor, but was significantly more positive than inappropriate humor. Male subjects favored inappropriate humor significantly. Further, an interactional trend suggested a gender bias; the male therapist was rated highest when using appropriate humor, whereas the female therapist was rated highest when not using humor
