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Benevolent and Corrective Humor, Life Satisfaction, and Broad Humor Dimensions: Extending the Nomological Network of the BenCor Across 25 Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Sonja Heintz

    (University of Zurich)

  • Willibald Ruch

    (University of Zurich)

  • Simge Aykan

    (Ankara University School of Medicine)

  • Ingrid Brdar

    (University of Rijeka)

  • Dorota Brzozowska

    (University of Opole)

  • Hugo Carretero-Dios

    (University of Granada)

  • Hsueh-Chih Chen

    (National Taiwan Normal University
    National Taiwan Normal University
    National Taiwan Normal University
    MOST AI Biomedical Research Center at NCKU)

  • Władysław Chłopicki

    (Jagiellonian University)

  • Incheol Choi

    (Seoul National University
    Seoul National University)

  • Alberto Dionigi

    (Studio di Psicoterapia Cognitiva)

  • Róbert Ďurka

    (Catholic University in Ružomberok)

  • Thomas E. Ford

    (Western Carolina University)

  • Angelika Güsewell

    (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland)

  • Robert B. Isler

    (University of Waikato)

  • Alyona Ivanova

    (Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
    Mental Health Research Center)

  • Liisi Laineste

    (Estonian Literary Museum)

  • Petra Lajčiaková

    (Catholic University in Ružomberok)

  • Chloe Lau

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Minha Lee

    (Seoul National University)

  • Stanca Măda

    (Transilvania University of Braşov)

  • Charles Martin-Krumm

    (Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens de Paris - Catholic Institute of Paris
    APEMAC, Lorraine University)

  • Andrés Mendiburo-Seguel

    (Universidad Andres Bello)

  • Ifu Migiwa

    (Waseda University)

  • Nailya Mustafi

    (Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University)

  • Atsushi Oshio

    (Waseda University)

  • Tracey Platt

    (University of Sunderland)

  • René T. Proyer

    (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Angélica Quiroga-Garza

    (Universidad de Monterrey)

  • TamilSelvan Ramis

    (HELP University)

  • Răzvan Săftoiu

    (Transilvania University of Braşov)

  • Donald H. Saklofske

    (University of Western Ontario)

  • Olga V. Shcherbakova

    (Saint Petersburg State University)

  • Alena Slezackova

    (Masaryk University)

  • Anastasios Stalikas

    (Panteion University)

  • Ieva Stokenberga

    (University of Latvia)

  • Jorge Torres-Marín

    (University of Granada)

  • Peter S. O. Wong

    (Universiti Malaysia Terengganu)

Abstract

Benevolent and corrective humor are two comic styles that have been related to virtue, morality, and character strengths. A previous study also supported the viability of measuring these two styles with the BenCor in 22 countries. The present study extends the previous one by including further countries (a total of 25 countries in 29 samples with N = 7813), by testing the revised BenCor (BenCor-R), and by adding two criterion measures to assess life satisfaction and four broad humor dimensions (social fun/entertaining humor, mockery, humor ineptness, and cognitive/reflective humor). As expected, the BenCor-R showed mostly promising psychometric properties (internal consistency and factorial validity). Consistent with previous studies, benevolent humor correlated positively with life satisfaction in most countries, while corrective humor was uncorrelated with life satisfaction. These relationships were only slightly changed when controlling for social fun/entertaining humor and mockery, respectively. Benevolent humor was mostly positively associated with cognitive/reflective humor, followed by social fun/entertaining humor and mockery. Corrective humor was mostly positively associated with mockery, followed by cognitive/reflective and social fun/entertaining humor, although these relationships differed between the countries. Overall, the present study supports the viability of benevolent and corrective humor, which has yet received insufficient attention in psychology, for cross-cultural investigations and applications of humor, well-being, and morality.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonja Heintz & Willibald Ruch & Simge Aykan & Ingrid Brdar & Dorota Brzozowska & Hugo Carretero-Dios & Hsueh-Chih Chen & Władysław Chłopicki & Incheol Choi & Alberto Dionigi & Róbert Ďurka & Thomas E., 2020. "Benevolent and Corrective Humor, Life Satisfaction, and Broad Humor Dimensions: Extending the Nomological Network of the BenCor Across 25 Countries," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(7), pages 2473-2492, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:21:y:2020:i:7:d:10.1007_s10902-019-00185-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00185-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rosseel, Yves, 2012. "lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 48(i02).
    2. Lijun Tang & Syamantak Bhattacharya, 2011. "Power and Resistance: A Case Study of Satire on the Internet," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(2), pages 10-18, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jorge Torres-Marín & Ginés Navarro-Carrillo & Michael Eid & Hugo Carretero-Dios, 2022. "Humor Styles, Perceived Threat, Funniness of COVID-19 Memes, and Affective Mood in the Early Stages of COVID-19 Lockdown," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2541-2561, August.

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