To laugh in the face of death: An examination of the connection between death attitudes and sense of humor from an existential perspective.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between sense of humor and death attitudes from an existential perspective. Participants in the study were 274 undergraduate students who completed a brief demographic instrument the Death Attitude Profile - Revised (DAP-R) and the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS). The author discovered the predicted negative correlation between scores on the human production/social uses dimension of the MSHS and the death avoidance scale of the DAP-R. The predicted connections between the humor production/social uses category and the neutral acceptance death attitude did not materialize. The predicted relationship between the attitudes toward humor scale and the fear of death and death avoidance attitudes did not emerge in the analysis. No relationship was discovered between an overall high humor score on the MSHS and the fear of death and death avoidance components of the DAP-R. No significant correlation was discovered between the coping/adaptation category on the humor scale and the approach acceptance category on the death attitude instrument No significant correlation was found between humor appreciation and escape acceptance. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression equation indicated that a slight relationship between death attitudes and sense of humor does exist with the greatest contributor to the total humor score being the neutral acceptance death attitude with minor contributions from approach acceptance and escape acceptance. The results were generally consistent with past research and the concept of active versus passive humor is addressed. The results are discussed from an existential perspective and the need for instruments with more specificity and psychometric accuracy is presented.