Researchers Offer a Defense of the Dad Joke

Dad jokes might make you groan, but researchers say they have a real impact below the surface. A new analysis of more than 32,000 posts on Reddit's r/dadjokes finds the top-rated dad jokes tend to rely on three ingredients: puns ("So long, boiling water. You will be mist"), literal takes on common phrases ("I'm worried about the calendar. Its days are numbered"), and pedantic twists that derail expectations ("What's blue and smells like red paint? Blue paint"). Question-and-answer formats and jokes featuring family members resonated most, psychology professor Paul Silvia tells the Washington Post; politics and religion, not so much. The preprint study also confirms what we already know, per New Scientist: "Dads find dad jokes funnier."

Humor researchers say the impact goes beyond a quick laugh, helping build bonds between fathers and kids while delivering some subtle mental health benefits. Laughter itself may ease stress and anxiety, while the emotional "lift" of a joke can improve mood even without a big reaction, outside clinical psychologist Steven Sultanoff tells the Post. The mental shift required to get a pun can also help people reframe how they see problems. Most importantly, dad jokes act as "social glue": a small, shared ritual that signals warmth, playfulness, and connection, Silvia says—whether or not anyone actually laughs.