DOI: 10.6129/CJP.201803_60(1).0002
Chinese Journal of Psychology 2018, Vol.60, No.1, 33-55
Effect of Humor on Marital Relationships
Yuh-Huey Jou（Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica）
Abstract
This study explored the motivation for and the type of humor used by married couples from the perspective of dydic interaction, and examined the effects of motivation and dyadic humor patterns on marital quality. Data were collected from 390 married couples in Greater Taipei area. The measurement included motivations for humor, types of humor, marital quality (satisfaction and regret), and control variables. Factor analysis, latent profile analysis and hierarchical linear models were applied. The main results showed that (1) the motivations for humor were divided into three categories: altruistic, relational, and self-interested; the types of humor were categorized into three types: self-deprecating (oneself as a joke theme), ridiculing (others as a joke theme) and jocosity (words as a joke theme). Husbands had higher scores than wives on relational and self-interested motivation, and used jocosity more often. Husbands also reported higher levels of marital quality than wives. (2) The dyadic humor patterns could be identified as Husband Jocosity and Self-deprecating, Dual Multiplicity, Dual Rarely Use and Wife Ridiculing and Self-deprecating. The four patterns had proportions of about 25%, 25%, 14%, and 35%, respectively. (3) Couples who reported higher relational motivation reported more satisfaction. The Wife Ridiculing and Self-deprecating couples reported lower marital quality than the Husband Jocosity and Self-deprecating and Dual Rarely Use couples. Moreover, the interaction terms of gender and dyadic humor pattern and of humorous motivation and dyadic humor pattern showed significant effects on marital satisfaction. These results highlight the role of traditional culture and traditional gender roles in the humor patterns of marital couples.
Keywords: Taiwanese married couples, type of humor, motivation for humor, marital quality, hierarchical linear model
