The Relationships Between Humor Styles, Shyness And Automatic Thoughts Among University Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between humor styles, shyness and automatic thoughts among university students. The sample of the study consisted of 422 university students. In order to obtain the research data, the humor styles questionnaire, The Shyness Scale and the Automatic Thoughts Scale were used. The data were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 package program; via t-test, correlation analysis and regression analysis methods. The results indicated that negative humor styles of the male students were significantly higher than those of the female students, while there were no significant differences according to gender in terms of positive humor styles. Additionally, it was found that positive humor styles negatively correlated with shyness and automatic thoughts, self defeating humor positively related with automatic thoughts; and aggressive humor positively related with two subscales of automatic thoughts. Other findings of the study indicated that shyness, personal adjustment and desire for change predicted together affiliative humor; shyness and hopelessness predicted together self-enhancing humor; negative feelings and thoughts towards oneself predicted aggressive humor; and negative feelings , thoughts towards oneself personal adjustment and desire for change predicted together self-defeating humor.