Britons give sense of humour the elbow at 41

Are Britons, known throughout the world for good humour, losing their sense of mischievous fun?

According to a new study released today, a bit of innocent mischief is scientifically proven to be good for us. However, our appreciation of humour in the form of practical jokes and pranks begins to decline at 41* – contradicting the idea that life begins at 40!

The research was commissioned by Felix - the UK’s most mischievous black and white cat - ahead of National Mischief Month in April1. A scientific trial by an independent research consultancy2 found that innocent mischief – in the form of a prank or practical joke – was shown to have enjoyable and positive physiological benefits, comparable to the buzz we get from eating chocolate, kissing a loved one or going on a first date. Benefits included a raised heart rate, increased physical arousal and an uplift in creativity, both for the subject of the prank, and the perpetrator3.

These findings are supported by a survey of over 1,700 Brits4 which discovered that the older we get, what was once viewed as harmless fun is increasingly more likely to produce a scowl worthy of Victor Meldrew, rather than a smile. Some other findings included:

61% of under 25s and 50% of 25-35 year olds regularly play jokes on friends, partners and colleagues at work, compared to 29% of over 55s A massive one in five over 55s (20%) say they have never played a practical joke on someone One in five regular pranksters (21%) say playing practical jokes helps keep them feeling young (21%) while for one in three (33%), mischief is a means of bonding with their social group 44% of Brits think writing / drawing on someone while they are asleep and sending a naughty text or email from someone else’s phone / PC are the funniest pranks to play British men are bigger pranksters than women (54% vs 39%) and are more likely to play pranks on mates than with family or work colleagues. They also enjoy being the victim of a prank more than women Brits are at their most mischievous when playing with their kids (23%) and spending time with their partner (22%) Those from London and the North West are the most mischievous and are more likely to play pranks on a frequent basis than any other region

Neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis, who conducted the study, explains, “Our enjoyment of innocent mischief appears to be one of the earliest casualties of ageing. This decline in playfulness could be linked to a gradual loss of creativity, a growing dislike of novelty and a retreat into more conventional ways of thinking. Adding a little mischief to our lives could help stimulate inventiveness and energy, keeping us youthful as we move into middle age.”

Stephanie Case, Senior Brand Manager for Felix, said, “We’ve got lots to learn from our pets and our children, who really capture the spirit of innocent, light-hearted mischief and bring a smile to our faces with their playful behaviour. We’ve launched Felix Mischief Month to encourage Brits to lighten up and inject a little light-hearted fun into their lives.”