Scores on the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) are shown to be related positively to a number of factors associated with psychological health, such as optimism and self esteem, and negatively with signs of psychological distress such as depression. Humor is a multidimensional construct that seems to be intimately related to quality of life.

The Humor Styles Questionnaire and Interpersonal Reactivity Index were given to 103 (28 men, 75 women) undergraduates in a community college in the Midwestern United States. As predicted, significant positive correlations were found between affiliative humor and empathic concern (r = .23, p < .05) and between self-enhancing humor and perspective-taking empathy (r = .28, p < .01). Also, as predicted, there were significant negative correlations between self-enhancing humor and personal distress (r =-.34, p < .001), and between aggressive humor and perspective-taking empathy (r =-.40, p < .001), empathic concern (r =-.29, p < .01) and personal distress (r =-.20, p < .05). Predictions involving self-defeating humor and empathy were not supported. The differences in the correlations for affiliative humor and those of self-enhancing humor were examined in terms of the greater importance of perspective-taking and stress reduction in self-enhancing humor versus affiliative humor, which is more involved with social relationships. The implications for future research were discussed.

A series ofstudies has shown t hat humor andintimacy are closely related. Since trust is an essentialpart ofintimacy, it was hypothesized that there wouldbe a dose correlation between humor and trust. The Trust versus Mistrust Scale of the Measures of Psychosocial Development, Coping Humor Scale, Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale, and Situational Humor Response Questionnaire were given to 89 subjects. There were significant correlations between the Trust versus Mistrust Scale and each of the humor scales. The positive relationship between trust and humor was explained in terms ofsuch mediating variables äs extroversion, stress reduction, and seif-esteem. It was suggestedthatfuturestudiesshouldinvestigatetherelationshipbetweenhumor and other variables associated with intimacy and trust, such äs self-disclosure.A number ofstudies (Mutthaya 1987; Kampes 1992; and Hampes 1994) have shown that those high in humor also tend to be high in intimacy. According to Erikson (1963) trust is one of the necessary conditions for intimacy to occur. Sternberg (1986: 121) Claims that intimacy involves "being able to count on the loved one in times of need." Therefore since intimacy is closely associated with trust, it was hypothesized that there would be a significant positive correlation between trust and humor. Method SubjectsThe subjects were 67 female and 22 male freshmen and sophomores at a Community College in the midwestern United States. These students, Humor 12-3 (1999), 253-259 0933-1719/99/0012-0253 © Walter de Gruyter Brought to you by | University of Queensland -UQ Library Authenticated Download Date | 6/17/15 6:22 AM

The Humor Styles Questionnaire and Interpersonal Reactivity Index were given to 103 (28 men, 75 women) undergraduates in a community college in the Midwestern United States. As predicted, significant positive correlations were found between affiliative humor and empathic concern (r = .23, p < .05) and between self-enhancing humor and perspective-taking empathy (r = .28, p < .01). Also, as predicted, there were significant negative correlations between self-enhancing humor and personal distress (r = -.34, p < .001), and between aggressive humor and perspective-taking empathy (r = -.40, p < .001), empathic concern (r = -.29, p < .01) and personal distress (r = -.20, p < .05).Predictions involving self-defeating humor and empathy were not supported. The differences in the correlations for affiliative humor and those of self-enhancing humor were examined in terms of the greater importance of perspective-taking and stress reduction in self-enhancing humor versus affiliative humor, which is more involved with social relationships. The implications for future research were discussed.

The Shyness Scale and Humor Styles Questionnaire were given to 174 subjects (69 male, 105 female). There was a significant negative correlation between shyness and affiliative humor for the total group, which was explained by the inability of shy people to relax enough in social situations to use this kind of humor. There was a significant positive correlation between shyness and self-defeating humor for the total group, a result that was expected due in large part to the low self-esteem of shy people. For the total group correlations between shyness and self-enhancing humor and between shyness and aggressive humor were not significant. Some of the sex differences between shy males versus shy females on aggressive and self-defeating humor were discussed.