Humor Use Moderates the Relation of Stressful Life Events With Psychological Distress

Three studies examined humor and adjustment to stressful events. in study 1,patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (n = 22) reported on mental and physical adjustment,social interaction,and reappraisal of their illness. dispositional humor was associated with reduced distress and fewer physical symptoms. study 2 (n = 109) examined undergraduates’ reports of stressful events. dispositional,self-enhancing,affiliative,and self-defeating humor showed direct effects on distress,which were mediated by social interaction and reappraisal. moreover,dispositional and aggressive humor showed stress-buffering effects. study 3 (n = 105) examined undergraduates’ adjustment to the september 11,2001,attacks at 1 and 3 months postattack. at t1,affiliative humor showed a stress-buffering effect on distress. social interaction mediated the relation of self-enhancing humor with reduced t1 distress,and mediated relations of aggressive and self-defeating humor with greater distress. relations of t1 dispositional and self-defeating humor to changes in t2 distress were mediated by reappraisal. © 2017,© 2017 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.