The Relationship between Humor Style, Marital Adjustment and Marital Satisfaction in Close Relationships

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the relationships of humor styles and marital adjustment and satisfaction in terms of actor and partner effects. One hundred fifty five married couples participated in the study. Relational Humor Inventory, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Relationship Satisfaction Scale were used to collect the data. The hypotheses were tested using Actor Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny, Kashy and Cook, 2006). According to the results, both, wives’ and husbands’ positive and negative humor styles predicted their own marital satisfaction and marital adjustment. In addition it was found that perceived partner’s humor styles predicted the marital satisfaction and adjustment. The contribution of positive humor to the relationships of the couples and gender differences in using humor were discussed in the light of the literature.

Keywords

• apim
• humor styles
• marital adjustment
• marital satisfaction