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Humor Styles Questionnaire

The Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), developed by Rod Martin and colleagues, measures four distinct ways individuals use humor: affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating. It is widely used in research and clinical settings to assess how humor relates to personality, coping, and psychological well-being.

8 minutes to complete

Eligibility

The Humor Styles Questionnaire can be completed by anyone interested in understanding their humor style.

Questions for Humor Styles Questionnaire

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Questions

1.

I usually don’t laugh or joke around much with other people.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
2.

If I am feeling depressed, I can usually cheer myself up with humor.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
3.

If someone makes a mistake, I will often tease them about it.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
4.

I let people laugh at me or make fun at my expense more than I should.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
5.

I don’t have to work very hard at making other people laugh—I seem to be a naturally humorous person.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
6.

Even when I’m by myself, I’m often amused by the absurdities of life.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
7.

People are never offended or hurt by my sense of humor.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
8.

I will often get carried away in putting myself down if it makes my family or friends laugh.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
9.

I rarely make other people laugh by telling funny stories about myself.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
10.

If I am feeling upset or unhappy I usually try to think of something funny about the situation to make myself feel better.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
11.

When telling jokes or saying funny things, I am usually not very concerned about how other people are taking it.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
12.

I often try to make people like or accept me more by saying something funny about my own weaknesses, blunders, or faults.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
13.

I laugh and joke a lot with my friends.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
14.

My humorous outlook on life keeps me from getting overly upset or depressed about things.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
15.

I do not like it when people use humor as a way of criticizing or putting someone down.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
16.

I don’t often say funny things to put myself down.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
17.

I usually don’t like to tell jokes or amuse people.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
18.

If I’m by myself and I’m feeling unhappy, I make an effort to think of something funny to cheer myself up.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
19.

Sometimes I think of something that is so funny that I can’t stop myself from saying it, even if it is not appropriate for the situation.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
20.

I often go overboard in putting myself down when I am making jokes or trying to be funny.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
21.

I enjoy making people laugh.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
22.

If I am feeling sad or upset, I usually lose my sense of humor.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
23.

I never participate in laughing at others even if all my friends are doing it.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
24.

When I am with friends or family, I often seem to be the one that other people make fun of or joke about.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
25.

I don’t often joke around with my friends.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
26.

It is my experience that thinking about some amusing aspect of a situation is often a very effective way of coping with problems.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
27.

If I don’t like someone, I often use humor or teasing to put them down.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
28.

If I am having problems or feeling unhappy, I often cover it up by joking around, so that even my closest friends don’t know how I really feel.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
29.

I usually can’t think of witty things to say when I’m with other people.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
30.

I don’t need to be with other people to feel amused—I can usually find things to laugh about even when I’m by myself.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
31.

Even if something is really funny to me, I will not laugh or joke about it if someone will be offended.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree
32.

Letting others laugh at me is my way of keeping my friends and family in good spirits.

The answer should be a single choice:
  1. Totally disagree
  2. Moderately disagree
  3. Slightly disagree
  4. Neither agree nor disagree
  5. Slightly agree
  6. Moderately agree
  7. Totally agree

Scoring

Scale Score
Totally disagree 1
Moderately disagree 2
Slightly disagree 3
Neither agree nor disagree 4
Slightly agree 5
Moderately agree 6
Totally agree 7

Interpretation

Subscales Interpretation
Affiliative High scores reflect frequent use of humor to build social bonds and ease interactions, supporting positive relationships and group cohesion.
Self-Enhancing High scores indicate a tendency to use humor to maintain a positive outlook and cope with stress, promoting personal psychological resilience and well-being.
Aggressive High scores suggest a tendency to use humor at the expense of others (e.g., sarcasm, ridicule), which may harm relationships and is linked to negative psychosocial outcomes.
Self-Defeating High scores show a pattern of using self-disparaging humor to gain approval or hide distress, often associated with lower self-esteem and poorer well-being.

Surveys Similar to Humor Styles Questionnaire

  • Analysis of Comedic Preferences: A Survey
  • The Sarcasm Evaluation Questionnaire
  • The Laughter Index: A Humor Assessment
  • Survey on Understanding of Irony and Wit
  • Gauge of Jocular Styles: An Inquiry
  • The Jest and Jokes Evaluation: A Humor Style Questionnaire Alternative

Here are some FAQs and additional information
on
Humor Styles Questionnaire

What does the HSQ measure?

It measures four humor styles: affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating, reflecting both adaptive and maladaptive uses of humor.

How is the HSQ scored?

Each item is rated on a 7-point scale; subscale scores are calculated by summing relevant items, with some items reverse scored.

Who can use the HSQ?

The HSQ is suitable for adults and older adolescents and is commonly used in psychological research, counseling, and organizational settings.

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