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Erschienen in: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie 1/2010

01.02.2010 | Beiträge zum Themenschwerpunkt

Humor as a character strength among the elderly

Empirical findings on age-related changes and its contribution to satisfaction with life

verfasst von: Prof. Dr. W. Ruch, R.T. Proyer, M. Weber

Erschienen in: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie | Ausgabe 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

Positive psychology studies what is best in people. In their classification of strengths and virtues, Peterson and Seligman [11] assign humor to the virtue of transcendence. Thus far, there is no specific study that deals with age-related changes in humor (as a strength of character) across a lifespan and its relation to well-being in the elderly.

Participants and methods

A total of n=42,964 participants completed an online questionnaire on humor as a strength of character. Participants also completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Orientations to Happiness Scale.

Results

In a cross-sectional design, the scores for humor decreased until the age of 50. Men between 51 and 62 years had higher scores; there was a trend for women older than 70 to score higher (but this was not statistically significant). Humor was robustly positively correlated with life satisfaction, as well with a pleasurable and an engaged life, but was lowest with a meaningful life. The oldest participants had the lowest (yet still meaningful) correlation coefficients (with the exception of a meaningful life).

Conclusion

The study contributes to the understanding of humor across the lifespan and underlines the importance of studies among the elderly within a framework of positive psychology.
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Metadaten
Titel
Humor as a character strength among the elderly
Empirical findings on age-related changes and its contribution to satisfaction with life
verfasst von
Prof. Dr. W. Ruch
R.T. Proyer
M. Weber
Publikationsdatum
01.02.2010
Verlag
Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in
Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie / Ausgabe 1/2010
Print ISSN: 0948-6704
Elektronische ISSN: 1435-1269
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-009-0090-0

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