Relational Humor and Marital Satisfaction in Married Individuals

Yıl 2020, , 72 - 78, 01.09.2020

Begum Satıcı M. Engin Deniz

https://doi.org/10.17220/ijpes.2020.02.006

Öz

This study investigated whether married individuals’ relational humor styles were significant predictors of their marital satisfaction levels. The study was conducted with a total of 228 married participants 139 women and 89 men . The duration of marriage of the participants ranged from 1 to 46 years M = 9.34, SD = 10.37 . The data were obtained by using the Marital Life Scale and Relational Humor Inventory. The data were tested with multiple regression analysis supported by bootstrapping process. According to the regression results, self-positive and self-negative relational humor styles significantly predicted their own marital satisfaction. On the other hand self-instrumental humor did not predict marital satisfaction significantly. Otherwise, marital satisfaction was significantly predicted by partner-positive, partner-negative, and partner-instrumental humor styles. The findings obtained in the study were discussed in accordance with the related literature and suggestions were made for the following studies

Anahtar Kelimeler

Married, marital satisfaction, relational humor

Kaynakça

• Alberts, J. K. (1990). The use of humor in managing couples’ conflict interactions. In D. D. Cahn (Ed.), Intimates in Conflict: A Communication Perspective (pp. 105-120). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203062852
• Ammerman, M. C. (2002). Gender differences in the use of humor in intimate relationships and marital adjustment. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Peperdine University, USA.
• Bacanlı, H., İlhan, T., & Güngör, H. C. (2012). İlişkisel Mizah Envanterinin Türkçe'ye uyarlanması: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi, 4(37), 11-23.
• Baucom, D. H., Shoham, V., Mueser, K. T., Daiuto, A. D., & Stickle, T. R. (1998). Empirically supported couple and family interventions for marital distress and adult mental health problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(1), 53-88. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.66.1.53
• Bippus, A. M. (2000). Humor usage in comforting episodes: Factors predicting outcomes. Western Journal of Communication, 64(4), 359-384. doi: 10.1080/10570310009374682
• Bressler, E. R., & Balshine, S. (2006). The influence of humor on desirability. Evolution and Human Behavior, 27(1), 29-39. doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2005.06.002
• Butzer, B., & Kuiper, N. A. (2008). Humor use in romantic relationships: The effects of relationship satisfaction and pleasant versus conflict situations. The Journal of Psychology, 142(3), 245-260. doi: 10.3200/JRLP.142.3.245-260
• Campbell, L., Martin, R. A., & Ward, J. R. (2008). An observational study of humor use while resolving conflict in dating couples. Personal Relationships, 15(1), 41-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00183.x
• Curun, F. (2006). Yüklemeler, iletişim çatışmaları, cinsiyet ve cinsiyet rolü yönelimi ile evlilik doyumu arasındaki ilişki. Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi.
• de Koning, E., & Weiss, R. L. (2002). The relational humor inventory: functions of humor in close relationships. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 30(1), 1-18. doi: 10.1080/019261802753455615
• Dildar, S., Sitwat, A., & Yasin, S. (2013). Intimate enemies: Marital conflicts and conflict resolution styles in dissatisfied married couples. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 15(10), 1433-1439. Doi: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2013.15.10.11581
• Driver, J. L., & Gottman, J. M. (2004). Daily marital interactions and positive affect during marital conflict among newlywed couples. Family Process, 43(3), 301-314. doi: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.2004.00024.x
• Eckstein, D., Junkins, E., & McBrien, R. (2003). Ha, ha, ha: Improving couple and family healthy humor (healthy humor quotient). The Family Journal, 11(3), 301-305. doi: 10.1177/1066480703252869
• Field, A. (2016). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics. London: Sage.
• Gordon, K. C., Baucom, D. H., Epstein, N., Burnett, C. K., & Rankin, L. A. (1999). The interaction between marital standards and communication patterns: How does it contribute to marital adjustment? Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 25, 211-223. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1999.tb01123.x
• Haas, S. M., & Stafford, L. (2005). Maintenance behaviors in same-sex and marital relationships: A matched sample comparison. The Journal of Family Communication, 5(1), 43-60. doi: 10.1207/s15327698jfc0501_3
• Hahlweg, K., Markman, H. J., Thurmaier, F., Engl, J., & Eckert, V. (1998). Prevention of marital distress: Results of a German prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Family Psychology, 12(4), 543-556. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.12.4.543
• Hall, J. A. (2013). Humor in long-term romantic relationships: The association of general humor styles and relationship-specific functions with relationship satisfaction. Western Journal of Communication, 77(3), 272-292. doi: 10.1080/10570314.2012.757796
• Hall, J. A. (2017). Humor in romantic relationships: A meta-analysis. Personal Relationships, 24(2), 306-322. doi: 10.1111/pere.12183
• Honeycutt, J. M., & Brown, R. (1998). Did you hear the one about?: Typological and spousal differences in the planning of jokes and sense of humor in marriage. Communication Quarterly, 46(3), 342-352. doi: 10.1080/01463379809370106
• Jacobs, E. C. (1985). The functions of humor in marital adjustment. Doctoral dissertation, New School for Social Research.
• Johari, M. (2004). Humour and marital quality: Is humour style associated with marital success?. Unpublished Master Dissertation. Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
• Kazarian, S. S., & Martin, R. A. (2006). Humor styles, culture-related personality, well-being, and family adjustment among Armenians in Lebanon. Humor, 9(4): 405-423. doi: 10.1515/HUMOR.2006.020
• Kurdek, L. A. (2005). Gender and marital satisfaction early in marriage: A growth curve approach. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(1), 68-84. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00006.x
• Laub, J. H., Nagin, D. S., & Sampson, R. J. (1998). Trajectories of change in criminal offending: Good marriages and the desistance process. American Sociological Review, 225-238. doi: 10.2307/2657324
• Lee, J. E., Zarit, S. H., Rovine, M. J., Birditt, K. S., & Fingerman, K. L. (2012). Middle-aged couples’ exchanges of support with aging parents: patterns and association with marital satisfaction. Gerontology, 58(1), 88-96. doi: 10.1159/000324512
• Martin, R. A., Puhlik-Doris, P., Larsen, G., Gray, J., & Weir, K. (2003). Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(1), 48-75. doi: 10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00534-2
• Rollins, B. C., & Feldman, H. (1970). Marital satisfaction over the family life cycle. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 32(1), 20-28. doi: 10.2307/349967
• Saroglou, V., Lacour, C., & Demeure, M. E. (2010). Bad humor, bad marriage: Humor styles in divorced and married couples. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 6(3), 94-121. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v6i3.210
• Stack, S., & Eshleman, J. R. (1998). Marital status and happiness: A 17-nation study. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60(2), 527-536. doi: 10.2307/353867
• Tezer, E. (2016). Evlilik ilişkisinden sağlanan doyum: Evlilik yaşamı ölçeği. Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi, 2(7), 1-7.
• Ünal, Ö. ve Akgün, S. (2019). Yakın ilişkilerde mizah tarzları, evlilik uyumu ve evlilik doyumu ilişkisi. Nesne, 7(15), 184-200.
• Velidedeoğlu Kavuncu, N. (2011). Kadın Erkek İllişkilerinde Sorunlar ve Çözümleri. Ankara: Efil Yayınevi.
• Waldinger, R. J., Schulz, M. S., Hauser, S. T., Allen, J. P., & Crowell, J. A. (2004). Reading others' emotions: The role of intuitive judgments in predicting marital satisfaction, quality, and stability. Journal of Family Psychology, 18(1), 58-71. doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.18.1.58
• Ziv, A. (1988). Teaching and learning with humor: Experiment and replication. The Journal of Experimental Education, 57(1), 4-15. doi: 10.1080/00220973.1988.10806492