Adult Attachment and Distress: The Mediating Role of Humor Styles
Author(s): Avi Besser, Patrick Luyten, Linda C. Mayes
Abstract: This study examined whether adaptive and maladaptive humor styles mediated or moderated the relationship between individual differences in adult attachment orientations and levels of distress in a community sample of Israeli adults (N = 389) using Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicated that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were positively related to the use of maladaptive humor styles and that maladaptive, but not adaptive humor styles mediated the relationships among both attachment anxiety and avoidance and higher levels of distress. In contrast, the use of adaptive humor was associated with lower levels of distress. Moreover, there was no evidence for any moderating effect of humor style on the relationship between adult attachment and distress. These findings have important implications for theories about stress and mood regulation, as well as for clinical interventions aimed at improving mood, reducing distress, and fostering resilience.
Keywords: Psychological distress; Humor; Adaptability (Personality); Attachment styles; Psychological resilience
Pages: 153-164
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