Cognitive appraisals and individual differences in sense of humor: Motivational and affective implications

This research examined how sense of humor relates to the cognitive appraisals that individuals make for various events and situations they encounter. In Study 1, participants described both a pleasant and stressful event that had occurred to them in the past month. As predicted by several humor theorists, results showed that more humorous individuals changed their perspective more often for stressful events, and found such changes to be beneficial. Participants in the second study provided cognitive appraisals both before and after completing two drawing tasks. Higher levels of humor were associated with more positive challenge appraisals for both drawing tasks, and lower threat appraisals prior to the first task. In further accord with a positive enhancement effect for humor, this study also found that higher levels of task motivation and positive affect were evident for those individuals with a greater sense of humor. The findings from Study 2 also provided empirical support for several of the basic underlying relationships that are fundamental to cognitive appraisal theory. Discussion focused on the enhancing effects of sense of humor, along with a need to further integrate individual difference research with cognitive appraisal theory. It was also recommended that future research focus more specifically on the multidimensional aspects of sense of humor. These aspects should then be considered relative to other more general personality constructs, such as extraversion and emotionality.