Differential Relationships of Light and Darker Forms of Humor with Mindfulness

Abstract

This study proposes two links between facets of mindfulness and different forms of humor: First, the common benevolence should link mindfulness positively to light forms of humor and negatively to darker forms of humor. Second, similar cognitive mechanisms should underlie both mindfulness and humor ability (humor detection, comprehension, and production). Third, both are malleable, and we hypothesize that fostering humor and mindfulness may mutually influence each other, leading to innovative and practical interventions for settings such as the workplace. In three studies, the relationship of humor and mindfulness as outlined in the Humor Mindfulness Relationship Model was investigated. In Studies 1 and 2, the relationship of different forms of humor and mindfulness was investigated in a sample of health care professionals and a broad online sample. In Study 3, the effect of a mindfulness intervention on humor as a character strength was investigated, giving preliminary insights into the mutual malleability of both. Results confirmed the positive relationship among light forms of humor and mindfulness as well as negative relationships of darker forms of humor with mindfulness. The mindfulness intervention fostered humor as a character strength. These results indicate that humor and mindfulness may be fruitfully combined in positive interventions as well as in the vocational setting. Moreover, the results suggest initial evidence for the Humor Mindfulness Relationship Model.

Character Strengths – Stability, Change, and Relationships with Well-Being Changes

“…The findings with regard to general health were also mostly parallel to those reported in and confirmed our expectations (i.e., positive relationships for zest, hope, selfregulation, persistence, and humor) and with positive relationships of the strengths of hope, zest, self-regulation, and persistence, while changes in humor did not go along with changes in general health in the present study. Humor has been linked to adaptive coping and keeping a light attitude in the face of adversity (for an overview, see Ruch & Hofmann, 2017;Ruch & McGhee, 2014; see also Hofmann, Heintz, Pang, & Ruch, 2018 in this special issue). Thus, it might be that humor increased as a result of facing threats to general health and well-being threats (and successfully coping with them), while the level of general health did not drop (i.e., could be maintained).…”

Moving Forward in Fostering Humour: Towards Training Lighter Forms of Humour in Multicultural Contexts

“…Interestingly, this view is also the basis of a mindful attitude. Therefore, first hypotheses have been put forward how mindfulness could assist the training of benevolent humour as both share qualities, such as being based in a "sympathetic heart" (for an overview on first hypotheses and data on the Humour and Mindfulness Relationship Model, see Hofmann et al, 2019).…”

“…It was shown that the cultivation of humour can lead to increases in well-being and to the fostering of ones sense of humour or humour as a character strength (e.g., Gander, Proyer, Ruch, & Wyss, 2013;Hofmann, Heintz, Pang, & Ruch, 2019;Mesmer-Magnus, Glew, & Viswesvaran, 2012;Proyer, Ruch, & Buschor, 2013;Ruch, Hofmann, Rusch, & Stolz, 2018; for an overview). Moreover, humour has been coined a social lubricant (cf.…”

“…Consequently, this knowledge should affect the designing of interventions to foster humour. While it has been pointed out before (see Hofmann et al, 2019) that such a binary classification into lighter versus darker makes a rather coarse distinction of a complex phenomenon (as most humour is neutral; Beermann & Ruch, 2009a) it is still useful for looking at forms of humour and humour uses that should feed into Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI) on humour.…”

Special Issue: Character Strengths, Well-Being, and Health in Educational and Vocational Settings

“…Their results provide an important basis for intervention studies addressing the promotion of character strengths and well-being of individuals. The paper of Hofmann et al (2018) focuses on one specific aspect of a virtuous character, humor, and examines its relationships to another desirable personal characteristic, mindfulness. The authors report three empirical studies in different settings including nearly 600 participants in total.…”