Humor, Self-Esteem, and Spite: Unraveling the Dynamics in Romantic Relationships

The tendency to display transgression for individuals we consider close is higher than those we consider distant. And not always there is a "forgive and forget" in such interpersonal dynamics. This revenge-seeking may emerge as spitefulness in romantic relationships, in subtle forms of humor, and is linked with self-esteem. The present research aims to study whether humor and self-esteem increases or de-creases spitefulness among couples. A total of 100 participants (73 female, 27 male) from Mumbai and Bengaluru were asked to fill out a Google form consisting of the Humor Styles Questionnaire, Collective Self-Esteem Scale, and Spitefulness Scale respectively. The statistical tools used were – Pearson's product-moment correlation, two-way ANOVA, and one-way ANOVA. Highlights of the results section revealed there is a significant correlation between aggressive humor and spitefulness, and humor and self-esteem. Spitefulness was unrelated to other humor styles as well as self-esteem. Additional one-way ANOVA revealed difference in humor due to gender and relationship status, while self-esteem and spitefulness have little impact due to gender and relationship status. The study also high-lights the need for a new scale for measuring spitefulness and suggests future studies for a deeper understanding of the underplaying factors associated with spitefulness among couples. The study concludes by suggesting current romantic partners to develop higher self-esteem and benign humor styles to enhance romantic relationship.