Humor styles and relationship satisfaction in dating couples: Perceived versus self-reported humor styles as predictors of satisfaction

Abstract

Humor has been identified as a potentially important variable in facilitating relationship satisfaction in romantic couples. Using a measure of stable differences in how humor is expressed by individuals, the current research looks at the possibility that dating couples have similar humor styles, and at whether self-reported or perceived humor styles best predict relationship satisfaction. Individuals in a sample of 82 couples independently completed the measures of own and perceived partner's humor styles and relationship satisfaction on multiple indicators of satisfaction. The results indicate little similarity within couples on humor styles. The best predictors of satisfaction were perceptions of a partner's humor style, with humor styles that were other-directed explaining the most variability in satisfaction. The results demonstrate the usefulness of treating humor uses as a multidimensional variable to better understand the roles humor might play across circumstances and relationships.