Communication of Humor During Bereavement: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Emotion Management Strategies

摘要

Some people cope more effectively with grief than others. This study examined how therncommunication of humor plays a role in managing emotions and physical symptomsrnrelated to bereavement. Results from 484 individuals who had experienced the deathrnof a loved one reveal that predispositional humor production is associated with greaterrncoping efficacy, reduced incidence of negative physical and emotional symptoms, and,rnoverall, aids individuals in functioning during grief. Differential patterns of humorrnpertaining to the specific death context (appropriateness of humor=avoiding censure)rnpredicted poorer coping and negative symptoms. There were also important male-femalerndifferences with men scoring higher on humor enactment, coping efficacy, and lower onrnnegative feelings and symptoms compared to women.