Gelotophobia, self-presentation styles, and psychological gender

The main research objective was to analyse the relationships between gelotophobia (Ruch & Proyer, 2008a) and self-presentation styles (based on Wojciszke, 2002a; see also Arkin, 1981; Tedeschi & Lindskold, 1976) as well as psychological gender (Bem, 1993). A sample of 200 persons (mostly students) completed the GELOPH<15>, Wojciszke’s (2002a) Self-presentation Style Questionnaire, and Kuczyńska’s (1992) Sex Role Inventory (i.e., the Polish version of Bem’s Sex Role Inventory; Bem, 1974). Gelotophobes used primarily self-depreciation self-presentation styles and tended to display a higher number of such strategies in total. Furthermore, they did not use self-promoting self-presentation. Additionally, there was a negative relation to masculine psychological gender. In a regression analysis, self-depreciation and masculinity (negatively) turned out to be potent predictors of the fear of being laughed at (explaining about 40 %). Those with a feminine psychological gender scored higher in gelotophobia than those with masculine, androgynous or undifferentiated gender. Overall, both psychological gender and self-presentation styles were useful variables in the description of gelotophobes.