RELATION BETWEEN HUMOR AND GENERATIVITY

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.