No Laughing Matter: How Humor Styles Relate to Feelings of Loneliness and Not Mattering

Abstract

Loneliness and feeling that one does not matter are closely linked, but further investigation is needed to determine differentiating features. The relationship between not mattering to others (anti-mattering) and loneliness was explored by assessing how the two constructs correlated with an interpersonal dimension, specifically four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, and aggressive). One hundred and fifty-eight women and 96 men completed a three-item loneliness scale, a new measure of anti-mattering, and a humor styles questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the new anti-mattering measure is a unidimensional scale. Loneliness and anti-mattering were strongly correlated, and each correlated in the same direction with approximately the same magnitude as the four humor styles. The discussion concludes that anti-mattering and loneliness are strongly linked, a finding which may be important in psychological treatment. Humor styles also play a role in psychological well-being and present a unique pathway to mental health.