Psychotic traits in comedians

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Creative Studies

Background:

• The link between creativity and mental illness is a growing research area.
• Humor and comedy, despite being creative domains, have been under-researched in this context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if comedians share psychotic characteristics with other creative individuals.
• To test the hypothesis of elevated traits related to schizophrenia and manic depression in comedians.

Main Methods:

• A large online survey (N=500+ comedians, N=350+ actors) using the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE).
• The O-LIFE assessed four dimensions of psychotic traits.
• Comedian and actor scores were compared against general population norms.

Main Results:

• Comedians scored significantly above O-LIFE norms across all four psychotic trait dimensions.
• Actors also showed differences from norms, but on fewer dimensions.
• Comedians displayed notable high scores in both introverted anhedonia and extraverted impulsiveness.

Conclusions:

• Comedians possess an unusual personality structure.
• This distinct personality profile may underpin their aptitude for comedic performance.