The interpersonal meaning of humor styles

Abstract In order to investigate the interpersonal meaning of humor, the relations between humor styles and the Interpersonal Circumplex (IPC) were examined. One-hundred and twenty-seven participants reported their humor styles using the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ). These participants' interpersonal styles were also assessed using the eight octants of the IPC. By employing the structural summary method, results indicated that all humor styles produced high levels of interpersonal content, but slightly different interpersonal profiles. Affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles, which are often viewed as adaptive humor styles, were strongly associated with the gregarious-extraverted octant of the IPC, whereas aggressive and self-defeating humor styles, which are often viewed as maladaptive humor styles, were most highly associated with the assured-dominant and arrogant-calculating octants of the IPC.