Use of humor as a coping mechanism, psychological adjustment, and social interaction

For two weeks, 286 participants used the Rochester Interaction Record to describe their social interactions. They also completed the Coping with Humor Scale and measures of depression, social skills, loneliness, and social anxiety. Scores on the CHS were positively related to how pleasurable people found their interactions, how con®dent they felt in their interactions, and how much time they spent with others. Moreover, the strength of these relationships was moderated by depression, but not by other measures of adjustment. These relationships were stronger for people who were less

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