DOES HUMOR MODERATE THE EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED STRESS

This study attempted to determine whether humor production moderates m ood and physiological responses to stress of subjects high and low in trait humor. Forty subjects who were high and 40 subjects who were low in trait humor were selected. Half of each group was randomly assigne d to one of two conditions. In one condition they generated a humorous monologue and in the other condition they generated a serious monolog ue to a silent stressful film. Heart rare, skin conductance level, and skin temperature were taken continuously for the fifteen minutes befo re, during, and fifteen minutes after the film. Pre- and post-stress m ood and tension ratings were also recorded. Analyses of covariance wer e conducted with baseline mood and tension as covariates. Compared to the production of a serious narrative, humor production led to lower n egative affect, lower tension, and reduced psychophysiological reactiv ity for both high and low trait-humor groups. These results suggest th at humor production may be an effective coping strategy, even for indi viduals who do nor typically use humor to cope with stress.