College Students Laughing it Off (A Study of Humor Styles and Coping)
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Gender and Diversity Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Marie Karlsson
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Previous studies examine humor as a form of coping. According to Erickson and Feldstein (2006), humor is a multifaceted concept involving cognitive, emotional, behavioral, psychophysiological, and social components. Humor is multidimensional and different for everyone. Coping is a process in which a threatening, challenging, or difficult situation leads to an emotional response. The emotional response is interpreted and managed in some way (Booth-Butterfield, Booth-Butterfield & Wanzer, 2007). Some way of dealing with the emotional response is how an individual cope. The current study will expand on the previous research by examining the relationships between humor styles, coping, resiliency, and adverse childhood experiences through college participants completing an online survey. It was hypothesized that participants with adverse childhood experience who tend to cope by using humor will have higher levels of coping overall (e.g., more positive coping styles and more resilient). It was also hypothesized that participants with positive humor styles will have high levels of coping. The preliminary analysis based on 44 participants show that those who had a more positive humor coping style (75th percentile or higher) were engaging in more self-enhancing coping (M = 30.69, SD = 3.97) compared to those with lower levels of such a coping style (M = 25.90, SD = 3.76), t (42) = -3.792, p <.001. There was no difference in level of resiliency (p >.60). There was a non-significant trend towards participants with more positive humor coping style also endorsing more adverse childhood experiences (M = 9.46, SD = 4.94 vs. M = 7.32, SD = 3.56, t (42) = -1.616, p = .114). The results suggest that there can be a relationship between humor coping and self-enhancing style of humor. These findings can potentially help further analysis humor as a coping mechanism.
Keywords: humor styles, coping, resilience, adverse childhood experiences
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Psychology: Projects In-Process
College Students Laughing it Off (A Study of Humor Styles and Coping)
Previous studies examine humor as a form of coping. According to Erickson and Feldstein (2006), humor is a multifaceted concept involving cognitive, emotional, behavioral, psychophysiological, and social components. Humor is multidimensional and different for everyone. Coping is a process in which a threatening, challenging, or difficult situation leads to an emotional response. The emotional response is interpreted and managed in some way (Booth-Butterfield, Booth-Butterfield & Wanzer, 2007). Some way of dealing with the emotional response is how an individual cope. The current study will expand on the previous research by examining the relationships between humor styles, coping, resiliency, and adverse childhood experiences through college participants completing an online survey. It was hypothesized that participants with adverse childhood experience who tend to cope by using humor will have higher levels of coping overall (e.g., more positive coping styles and more resilient). It was also hypothesized that participants with positive humor styles will have high levels of coping. The preliminary analysis based on 44 participants show that those who had a more positive humor coping style (75th percentile or higher) were engaging in more self-enhancing coping (M = 30.69, SD = 3.97) compared to those with lower levels of such a coping style (M = 25.90, SD = 3.76), t (42) = -3.792, p <.001. There was no difference in level of resiliency (p >.60). There was a non-significant trend towards participants with more positive humor coping style also endorsing more adverse childhood experiences (M = 9.46, SD = 4.94 vs. M = 7.32, SD = 3.56, t (42) = -1.616, p = .114). The results suggest that there can be a relationship between humor coping and self-enhancing style of humor. These findings can potentially help further analysis humor as a coping mechanism.
Keywords: humor styles, coping, resilience, adverse childhood experiences