Sabiha Rahman and Rupam Banerjee
Sarojini Naidu College for Women, Kolkata, India
Pages: 151-161
Humour is an important psychological process that influences emotional regulation,
interpersonal functioning, and coping with stress. The present study aimed to examine
the relationships between humour styles, personality traits, coping mechanisms, and
attachment styles among college students. Using a cross-sectional survey design,
data were collected from 144 university students through standardized self-report
measures assessing humour styles, Big Five personality traits, coping strategies, and
attachment styles. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rankorder
correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses. Results indicated that adaptive
humour styles, including affiliative and self-enhancing humour, were positively associated
with openness, agreeableness, extraversion, and problem-focused coping, whereas
maladaptive humour styles, such as aggressive and self-defeating humour, were linked
to neuroticism and avoidant coping strategies. Gender differences were observed, with
females reporting greater use of adaptive humour styles and males reporting higher
use of maladaptive humour styles. Regression analyses showed that personality traits
and coping mechanisms significantly predicted humour styles. These findings suggest
that humour styles reflect underlying personality characteristics and coping processes,
highlighting humour as a meaningful psychological indicator relevant to emotional
adjustment and social functioning