Reliability and validity of the sense of humor scale
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Daniel Lydon
Daniel Lydon, M.A. is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. His academic interests include the relationships between humor, personality, and health. After graduating, Daniel plans to do clinical work in psycho-oncology.
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Wilson McDermut
Wilson McDermut, received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from American University. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Program Coordinator of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. His research focuses on the validity of psychiatric disorders, associations between psychopathology and personality, and psychological assessment. He is also a stand-up comic who performs regularly in New York City.
Abstract
This study examined the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the sense of humor scale (SHS; McGhee, Paul E. 1999. Health, healing and the amuse system: Humor as survival training, 3rd edn. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt), a 24-item questionnaire developed to measure overall sense of humor. Participants included 99 adults, 105 undergraduates, and 111 comedians. One-week test-retest reliability was good (r = 0.75). Internal consistency of the overall scale was excellent, and acceptable-to-excellent for the six subscales. Item-total correlations were generally strong. Comedians scored higher than undergraduates and adults, supporting the construct validity of the SHS. Convergent validity was strong as the SHS was positively correlated with the Humor Styles Questionnaire total and its subscales. Our analyses of SHS’s associations with the Big Five personality dimensions led to findings that are consistent with prior research, as the SHS was positively correlated with extraversion and openness to experience, but uncorrelated with neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Factor analyses found a bifactor model to be the best fitting model for the SHS. Ancillary bifactor fit indices provided additional support for the notion that the SHS may not be best described as unidimensional. Thus, it can be argued that the subscales are relevant for both research and applied work as they offer unique contributions.
About the authors
Daniel Lydon, M.A. is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. His academic interests include the relationships between humor, personality, and health. After graduating, Daniel plans to do clinical work in psycho-oncology.
Wilson McDermut, received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from American University. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Program Coordinator of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. His research focuses on the validity of psychiatric disorders, associations between psychopathology and personality, and psychological assessment. He is also a stand-up comic who performs regularly in New York City.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- From the Editor
- From the Editor
- Full Length Articles
- “Some people work a bit more than me, and so we tease them”: the production of an elite student community in an elite French higher education institution
- “If it stops, then I’ll start worrying.” Humor as part of the fire service culture, specifically as part of coping with critical incidents
- Effects of regular and joke dog whistles on perceptions of political candidates
- Using humor to disguise racism in television news: the case of the Roma
- Reliability and validity of the sense of humor scale
- How cognitive, social, and emotional profiles impact humor appreciation: sense of humor in autism spectrum disorder and Williams syndrome
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- From the Editor
- From the Editor
- Full Length Articles
- “Some people work a bit more than me, and so we tease them”: the production of an elite student community in an elite French higher education institution
- “If it stops, then I’ll start worrying.” Humor as part of the fire service culture, specifically as part of coping with critical incidents
- Effects of regular and joke dog whistles on perceptions of political candidates
- Using humor to disguise racism in television news: the case of the Roma
- Reliability and validity of the sense of humor scale
- How cognitive, social, and emotional profiles impact humor appreciation: sense of humor in autism spectrum disorder and Williams syndrome
