Since humor has been found to facilitate such generative pursuits as p
sychotherapy, teaching, and nursing, and been associated with intimacy
, it was hypothesized that high levels of humor are associated with hi
gh levels of generativity. The Measures of Psychosocial Development (m
easuring generativity), Situational Humor Response Questionnaire, and
Coping Humor Scale were given to 56 subjects. Those scoring high on ge
nerativity scored significantly higher on both measures of humor than
those scoring low in generativity. It was conjectured that humor may f
acilitate generativity through such mediating variables as intimacy an
d creativity as well as through stress reduction.