title: Humor style similarity and difference in friendship dyads.
abstract: This study assessed the concurrent and prospective (fall to spring) associations between four different humor styles to assess the degree to which stable friendships are characterized by similarity, and to assess whether best friends' humor styles influence each other's later use of humor. Participants were aged 11-13 years, with 87 stable, reciprocal best friend dyads. Self-report assessments of humor styles were completed on both occasions. Results indicated that there was no initial similarity in dyads' levels of humor. However, dyads' use of humor that enhances interpersonal relationships (Affiliative humor) became positively correlated by spring. Additionally, young people's use of this humor style was positively associated with their best friend's later use of the same. No such effects were present for humor which was aggressive, denigrating toward the self, or used to enhance the self. These results have clear implications for theories of humor style development, highlighting an important role for Affiliative humor within stable friendship dyads.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: simon.hunter@strath.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Keele University, UK. Electronic address: c.fox@keele.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Claire L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK. Electronic address: sjones@gold.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Siân E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: APIM; Friendship; Humour