A good sense of humor doesn’t always help: agency and communion as moderators of psychological well-being

Abstract

Some research supports a facilitative effect for sense of humor, with increased levels of humor being associated with enhanced psychological well-being. This pattern has not always obtained, however, as several studies have found no relationship between sense of humor and well-being. As such, the present research explored the possibility that the personality dimensions of agency and communion may moderate the facilitative effect of humor on well-being. A total of 126 participants completed various measures of sense of humor, agency, communion, global self-esteem, and depressive symptomatology. Findings consistent with a facilitative effect of humor emerged for the entire sample, with greater levels of humor being linked with fewer depressive symptoms and enhanced self-esteem. However, those individuals displaying high levels of both agency and communion did not show a pervasive facilitative effect, as the majority of their relationships between humor and well-being were non-significant. Furthermore, individuals with low levels of both agency and communion showed a very strong facilitative effect, with higher levels on several sense of humor components (i.e., coping humor, liking of humor) being linked to greater well-being. These findings were then discussed in terms of fundamental personality constructs, such as agency and communion, which may moderate the relationship between certain components of sense of humor and psychological well-being. Potential mechanisms accounting for these patterns of findings were also considered.