The Prediction Level of Self-Esteem on Humor Style and Positive-Negative Affect

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze if there are significant correlations among self-esteem, humor styles and positive-negative affection and if self esteem significantly predicts humor styles and positive-negative affection. A total of 440 under graduate students (77% female) chosen by random set sampling method participated in this study voluntarily. The mean age of the participants was 20.33 with a standard deviation of 1.73. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Humor Styles Questionnaire and The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were employed in order to collect the data of the study. To analyze the data the Pearson moments correlation technique and multiple regression analysis were used. According to the findings of the study there were positive significant correlations between self-esteem and affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles, negative correlations between self esteem and aggressive and self defeating humor styles. Another finding of the study shows that there is a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and positive affection and a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and negative affect. Self-esteem significantly predicts the humor styles sub dimensions. Self-esteem explains 3.1% of the total variance in affiliative humor style (R 2 = .031, β = .176, p < .001), 5.7% of the total variance in self enhancing humor style (R 2 = .057, β = .239, p < .001), 1.1% of the total variance in aggressive humor style (R 2 = .011, β =-.107, p < .05), 4.1% of the total variance in self defeating humor style (R 2 = .041, β =-.208, p < .001). As a result of the analysis predicting the positive-negative affection; self-esteem explains 14.7% of the total variance in positive affect (R 2 = .147, β = .384, p < .001) and 4.2% of the total variance in negative affect (R 2 =-.042, β =-.204, p < .001).