The Humor Styles Questionnaire

All you need to know about the test

The Humor
Styles

Questionnaire
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A brief history of Humor

Humor is vital for human emotion, socialisation, and coping. Although laughing is universal, and even common in babies (although we don’t know precisely what they are laughing about, of course), some jokes require complex thought and reasoning (cognitive abilities).

Anyone knows that people differ greatly in their sense of humor and styles of humor. A sense of humor is an important psychological trait, because it is relevant to how well people can cope with stress and difficulties, and it plays an important role in success in social interaction, including romantic attraction (a sense of humor is an attractive trait). Further, there are more male than female comedians, suggesting that biological factors play some role in people’s ability to be funny. Altogether, a fascinating topic!

The HSQ Details

The four humor styles

The use of humor is not always related to healthy psychological behaviour. Some forms of humor are, while others are not (e.g., sarcasm). One of the special features of the HSQ is that it measures two positive and two negative dimensions of humor:

Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Affiliative humor

This involves telling jokes about things that everyone might find funny. The goal is to use humor to bring people together to find the humor in everyday life.
The goal is to create a sense of fellowship, happiness, and well-being. If you are fond of jokes about animals or everyday occurrences, then you are using affiliative humor.

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Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Self-defeating humor

Putting yourself down in an aggressive or “poor me” fashion is called self-defeating humor. The late comedian Rodney Dangerfield would be an example (“I don’t get no respect” “I was an ugly baby”). Psychologically, this can be an unhealthy form of humor, and is sometimes used by targets of bullies to try to avoid attacks—making oneself the butt of jokes before others put you down.

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Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Affiliative humor

This involves telling jokes about things that everyone might find funny. The goal is to use humor to bring people together to find the humor in everyday life.
The goal is to create a sense of fellowship, happiness, and well-being. If you are fond of jokes about animals or everyday occurrences, then you are using affiliative humor.

Read Article
Curious about your humour styles ?

| accurately measure your
4 humor styles |
Free
Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Self-defeating humor

Putting yourself down in an aggressive or “poor me” fashion is called self-defeating humor. The late comedian Rodney Dangerfield would be an example (“I don’t get no respect” “I was an ugly baby”). Psychologically, this can be an unhealthy form of humor, and is sometimes used by targets of bullies to try to avoid attacks—making oneself the butt of jokes before others put you down.

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Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Self-enhancing humor

This is being able to laugh at yourself, such as making a joke when something bad has happened to you. Trying to find the humor in everyday situations, and making yourself the target of the humor in a good-natured way. It is related to healthy coping with stress. Jon Stewart from the Daily Show often uses self-enhancing humor by saying things such as, “Maybe I just don’t understand,” or “I’m not the brightest guy.”

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Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Aggressive humor

This involves put-downs or insults targeted toward individuals. This is the humor that is used by more aggressive comedians—the put-down artists, such as Don Rickles or the late Joan Rivers. When it is intended to threaten or psychologically harm others, it is the type of humor used by bullies. While some of the audience to this type of humor will find it funny, others might laugh to cover up a feeling of discomfort.

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Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Self-enhancing humor

This is being able to laugh at yourself, such as making a joke when something bad has happened to you. Trying to find the humor in everyday situations, and making yourself the target of the humor in a good-natured way. It is related to healthy coping with stress. Jon Stewart from the Daily Show often uses self-enhancing humor by saying things such as, “Maybe I just don’t understand,” or “I’m not the brightest guy.”

Read Article
Curious about your presonality traits ?

| accurately measure your
5 major personality traits |
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Featured image for The Aggressive Hunor article
Humor Styles Questionnaire
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Aggressive humor

This involves put-downs or insults targeted toward individuals. This is the humor that is used by more aggressive comedians—the put-down artists, such as Don Rickles or the late Joan Rivers. When it is intended to threaten or psychologically harm others, it is the type of humor used by bullies. While some of the audience to this type of humor will find it funny, others might laugh to cover up a feeling of discomfort.

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Books about humor

If you are interested in gaining a more in-depth understanding of humor and its dimensions, here we offer you a selection of the most relevant and valuable books that explore the subject and can aid you in your endeavour:

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References
Media Credits
  1. Featured image for the Humor Styles Questionnaire: Laughing Fool, painting by Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen.     
  2. Featured image for the Affiliative humor article: Children Teaching a Cat to Dance, known as ‘The Dancing Lesson’, Painting by Jan Steen.
  3. Featured image for the Humor Styles Questionnaire Call-to-action: Laughing Fool, painting by Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen. 
  4. Featured image for the Self-defeating humor article: Peeckelhaeringh,
    Painting by Frans Hals.
  5. Featured image for the Self-enhancing humor article: The laughing violinist, painting by Gerrit van Honthorst.
  6. Featured image for The Big Five Personality Test Call-to-action:  Cesar Biojo, Nude. 
  7. Featured image for the Aggressive Humor article: Malle Babbe, paintings by Painting by Frans Hals.

Cesar Biojo, Colombian artist living in Barcelona

“The death of a moment is the best proof of its existence.”
Cesar Biojo´s works are oil portraits created from pictorial resources that are destroyed immediately, leaving evidence behind. This way, the concept of time is introduced, connecting ideas inherent in the human being, such as creation and destruction, the perishable and transient. His work becomes an introspective study of human beings, their conflicts, their nature and their existence.
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