Humor styles and subjective wellbeing in older adults: Identifying mediators and associated implications for healthy aging

IF 2.6 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

Personality and Individual Differences Pub Date : 2025-08-06 DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2025.113393

Nikki-Anne Wilson , Moyra E. Mortby , Fiona Kumfor , Jill Bennett , Henry Brodaty , Kaarin J. Anstey

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Humor style refers to two positive (affiliative; self-enhancing) and two negative (aggressive; self-defeating) dimensions of the use of humor in daily life. In younger adults, positive and negative humor styles are associated with higher and lower wellbeing, respectively. The association between humor styles and wellbeing in older adults, however, remains underexplored.

Methods

403 participants (mean age = 73.43; 87 % culturally Australian) completed an online survey: humor styles questionnaire, Lubben social networks scale, depression in older age scale, and satisfaction with life scale.

Results

Regression modelling showed affiliative (β = 0.14, p = .020) and self-enhancing (β = 0.16, p = .009) humor were significantly associated with greater wellbeing; self-defeating humor was associated with poorer wellbeing (β = −0.12, p = .033). Differential indirect effects were identified between humor styles and wellbeing: affiliative humor (predictor) and social support (mediator), β = 0.084, 95 % CI = 0.043, 0.132; self-enhancing humor (predictor) and depressive symptoms (mediator), β = 0.095, 95 % CI = 0.037, 0.160; self-defeating humor (predictor) and depressive symptoms (mediator), β = −0.072, 95 % CI = −0.132, −0.020.

Conclusions

Different humor styles significantly relate to subjective wellbeing in older adults via divergent psychosocial pathways. Humor heavily infiltrates social interactions and may support psychological health. Our findings establish humor as likely contributing to the complex psychosocial framework supporting aging well.

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幽默风格与老年人主观幸福感：确定健康老龄化的中介和相关含义

幽默风格是指两种积极的(从属的；自我增强型)和两种消极型(进取型；幽默在日常生活中的运用。在年轻人中，积极和消极的幽默风格分别与更高和更低的幸福感相关。然而，幽默风格与老年人幸福感之间的关系仍未得到充分研究。方法403例受试者(平均年龄73.43岁；87%的澳大利亚人)完成了一项在线调查：幽默风格问卷、Lubben社交网络量表、老年抑郁症量表和生活满意度量表。结果回归模型显示，亲和型幽默（β = 0.14, p = 0.020）和自我增强型幽默（β = 0.16, p = 0.009）与幸福感显著相关；自我挫败的幽默与较差的幸福感相关（β = - 0.12, p = 0.033）。幽默风格与幸福感之间存在差异间接影响：亲缘性幽默（预测因子）和社会支持（中介因子），β = 0.084, 95% CI = 0.043, 0.132；自我提升型幽默（预测因子）和抑郁症状（中介因子），β = 0.095, 95% CI = 0.037, 0.160；自我挫败的幽默（预测因子）和抑郁症状（中介因子），β = - 0.072, 95% CI = - 0.132, - 0.020。结论不同的幽默风格通过不同的心理社会途径与老年人主观幸福感显著相关。幽默深深地渗透到社会交往中，可能有助于心理健康。我们的研究结果表明，幽默可能有助于复杂的社会心理框架，从而很好地支持衰老。

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来源期刊

Personality and Individual Differences PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL-

CiteScore

8.50

自引率

4.70%

发文量

577

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Personality and Individual Differences is devoted to the publication of articles (experimental, theoretical, review) which aim to integrate as far as possible the major factors of personality with empirical paradigms from experimental, physiological, animal, clinical, educational, criminological or industrial psychology or to seek an explanation for the causes and major determinants of individual differences in concepts derived from these disciplines. The editors are concerned with both genetic and environmental causes, and they are particularly interested in possible interaction effects.