Is the use of humor associated with anger management? The assessment of individual differences in humor styles in Spain

Abstract

Individual differences in the use of humor are a growing topic in personality research. This paper presents the psychometric analysis of the Spanish version of the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ; Martin, Puhlik-Doris, Larsen, Gray, & Weir, 2003). A total of 1068 adults whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years participated in five different studies. First, we tested the dimensionality and internal consistency of the instrument; we also replicated previous relationships between humor styles and well-being and personality (Big Five and HEXACO models). Second, we obtained new external validity evidence regarding the role of humor styles in anger management. Our results showed that self-enhancing humor was associated with a higher ability to reduce angry feelings and to avoid the external expression of anger. Higher scores on maladaptive humor styles, such as aggressive and self-defeating humor, were correlated with a greater inclination to express anger toward other people and with an increased tendency to engage in anger suppression, respectively. Results suggest that the HSQ is a reliable and valid option for measuring humor styles in the Spanish population.