Three studies are reported that investigated the hypothesis, long held by theorists, therapists, and laypersons alike, that a sense of humor reduces the deleterious impact of stressful experiences. In each study a negative-life-events checklist was used to predict stress scores on a measure of mood disturbance. These studies made use of different measures of subjects' sense of humor, including four selfreport scales and two behavioral assessments of subjects' ability to produce humor under nonstressful and mildly stressful conditions. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that five of the six humor measures produced a significant moderating effect on the relation between negative life events and mood disturbance. Subjects with low humor scores obtained higher correlations between these two variables than did those with high humor scores. These results provide initial evidence for the stress-buffering role of humor.

A summary of research concerning the construct, internal vs. external control of reinforcement is presented. Investigations with this variable have utilized situational manipulations of locus of control or have involved differential predictions to given situations based on measures of the internal-external control dimension. In both types of investigation, locus of control is found predictive to different social behaviors, learning performances, and to more and less achievement-related activities. Suggestions for further areas of study are presented.

Research exploring the psychological importance of closeness with others has been hampered by the absence of a reliable and valid measure of this variable. The development of the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), a 17-item measure of the maximum level of intimacy currently experienced, is presented. Evidence for internal consistency and test-retest reliability as well as for convergent, discriminant and construct validity is discussed in the context of the need for further scientific exploration of this important phenomenon.

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The development of goal specific locus of control scales is described along with several validity studies. The scales were designed to assess the locus of control for affiliation and achievement and were constructed from items representing each quadrant of Weiner's locus and stability of causal attribution model. Half the items concern success, and half, failure experiences. In a series of four studies the achievement locus of control scale failed to predict the affiliation-relevant criteria but was related to body movements indicative of discomfort in the one achievement situation that was investigated. Interference and disruptions during the achievement task had a greater unsettling influence upon achievement internals. Affiliation locus of control, on the other hand, allowed for the prediction of self-disclosure when conditions called for disclosure, and was related to the demonstration of listening skills in a dyadic interaction. In each case affiliation internals proved more socially adroit. In addition, affiliation locus of control was related to recalled early life events that had previously been found to be related to more general measures of locus of control.