THE APPRECIATION OF HOSTILE TARGETTED HUMOR AS A MODERATOR OF EVENT-SPECIFIC AND GLOBAL PERCEIVED STRESS.
Item
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Title
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THE APPRECIATION OF HOSTILE TARGETTED HUMOR AS A MODERATOR OF EVENT-SPECIFIC AND GLOBAL PERCEIVED STRESS.
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Identifier
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AAI8708319
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identifier
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8708319
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Creator
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SHINDELMAN, HARVEY I.
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Contributor
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Florence L. Denmark
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Date
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1987
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Personality
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Abstract
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An investigation was conducted in order to test two hypotheses pertaining to the relationship between the appreciation of hostile targetted (other-directed) jokes and the amelioration of event-specific stress or non-event-specific global perceived stress. Hypothesis I stated that a favorable orientation toward hostile targetted jokes, as such jokes facilitate the discharge of aggressive energy which is directed at a target or "butt," will moderate the association between event-specific or global perceived stress and illness. Hypothesis II proposed that an appreciation for hostile targetted jokes will be a more effective stress palliative than will a favorable orientation toward non-hostile, non-targetted (non-directed) jokes, due to the association of the former with higher levels of energy discharge, and will have a more pronounced moderating effect upon the magnitude of the relationship between stress and illness.;A total of 86 female and 58 male undergraduates completed five measures: (1) an assessment of event-specific stress, the Stress scale of the Psychological Distress Inventory (PDI); (2) an index of global stress, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (3) the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a measure of psychological distress; (4) the Somatization scale of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), a measure of physical symptomatology; and (5) a measure of appreciation for hostile targetted and non-hostile, non-targetted jokes, consisting of 10 jokes representing each category.;In order to assess the possible stress-moderating effects of an appreciation for hostile jokes or for non-hostile, non-targetted jokes, a series of stepwise hierarchical multiple regressions in hypothesis-testing format was performed on the data. For both depression and somatization measures, separate analyses were conducted for each respondent subgroup for each type of joke appreciation and for each type of stress--a total of 16 analyses. None of the regression coefficients associated with the interaction term (the index of any stress-moderating effect) were statistically significant. Neither level of appreciation for hostile targetted jokes nor level of favorability toward non-hostile, non-targetted jokes improved predictability of illness beyond that information provided by score for either type of stress alone: The magnitude of the relationship between level of event-specific or global stress and illness outcome was unaffected by the level of appreciation for either hostile or non-hostile, non-targetted jokes.;Several explanations are offered to account for the null findings of the present study. The overall pattern of findings is then assessed from the perspective of its significance for the study of humor and stress management. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
