Humor styles, peer relationships, and bullying in middle childhood

Abstract

Contemporary approaches to understanding humor have developed models that underscore the importance of both adaptive and maladaptive humor styles. The expression of these humor styles can then impact either positively or negatively on the self or others. One such model, as recently proposed by Rod Martin and his colleagues, outlines four distinct humor styles; namely self-enhancing, affiliative, self-defeating, and aggressive humor. Several studies with both adults and older adolescents provide initial empirical support for this model, including the adaptive aspects of self-enhancing and affiliative humor, as well as the maladaptive components of self-defeating and aggressive humor. However, these four humor styles have yet to be considered with respect to children. As such, the present paper considers how these different humor styles may bear on peer relationships and bullying during middle childhood (ages 6–12). In our examination, we describe how adaptive and maladaptive humor styles may either help or hinder the child's status within a peer group. Special emphasis is directed towards potential relationships between specific humor styles and either peer acceptance or victimization, as well as both direct and indirect forms of bullying. We conclude by describing several potential areas of research that may prove beneficial in furthering our understanding of humor and social relationship issues in middle childhood.

Humor Styles in Indian University Students

“…This echoes previous findings that use of adaptive humor styles enhances self-esteem, peer acceptance, group identity and cohesiveness [8,25].…”

“…Humor used in social interactions can be divided into 2 groups (adaptive and maladaptive humor) and further differentiated into 4 humor styles [7]. Humor styles can be divided into adaptive humor that facilitates relationships and lessens interpersonal tensions, and maladaptive humor that is unhealthy and harmful to either themselves or others by disparagement [7,8]. Adaptive humor includes: (1) affiliative humor that promotes and improves interpersonal relationships, feelings of well-being and reduces conflicts; and (2) self-enhancing humor that enhances and protects oneself by maintaining a realistic perspective on life [7].…”

‘I’m being called names and I’m being hit’. Challenges of longitudinal research on bullying amongst 11–13-year-olds

“…Accordingly, our study looked prospectively at the links between peer victimisation and psychosocial maladjustment. Klein and Kuiper (2006) proposed a further bidirectional relationship between humour and peer victimisation. They proposed that bullying may be maintained, through maladaptive, self-defeating humour, which enhances one's relationships with others, but at the expense of the self (e.g.…”

Effects of Classroom Humor Climate and Acceptance of Humor Messages on Adolescents’ Expressions of Humor

“…This study also controlled for other known factors, such as gender (Führ 2002;Martin et al 2003), age (Führ 2002;Klein and Kuiper 2006;Martin et al 2003), academic performance (Masten 1986), and personality characteristics (Costa and McCrae 1992;Martin et al 2003). In terms of personality characteristics, we chose the impulsive personality (the Cronbach's alpha was 0.76) and the loves-to-laugh personality (the Cronbach's alpha was 0.89).…”