The examination of humor usage and its relationship to cohesion in male collegiate basketball

Nicholas Tremayne Hester (Creator)
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Diane Gill

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to gain insight and understanding into the humor experience in collegiate sport. The specific purpose of this study was to determine the styles of humor used among male collegiate basketball players, the uses humor serves for them, and the perceived effects of humor used within male collegiate basketball teams. Also, the relationship of the styles and uses of humor to team cohesion was determined. The Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ) was used to measure the humor styles used among athletic team members (Martin, Puhlik-Doris, Larson, Gray, & Weir, 2003). The Uses of Humor Index (Graham, Papa, & Brooks, 1992) was used to measure the uses of humor among athletic team members. Questions regarding specific effects of humor attempted to develop an understanding of specific positive and negative effects of humor usage in sport, as well as determine the overall frequency of positive and negative effects of humor. The Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) was used to measure the perceptions of team cohesion among athletic teams (Widmeyer, Brawley, & Carron, 1985). The data analyzed in this study was collected on 79 male collegiate basketball players representing six institutions. The results of this research found humor usage to be mainly positive, with positive humor being reported with more frequency than negative humor in group settings. The male collegiate basketball participants reported higher scores on the positive styles of humor than on the negatives styles of humor. Likewise, results revealed that positive and expressive affect humor was reported with more frequency than negative affect humor. Additionally, results revealed that the positive effects of humor were reported with more frequency than the negative effects of humor. Correlations showed that the affiliative style of humor was positively correlated with the ATG-T, GI-T, and GI-S cohesion scales. The self-enhancing style of humor was positively correlated with the GI-S cohesion scale. The positive affect and expressiveness affect functions of humor were positively correlated with the humor effect of enhance team cohesion. The results are encouraging for sports professionals, because results suggest that humor is being used mostly in the positive forms that are proposed to lead to positive outcomes. Additionally, results suggest that positive styles and functions of humor may have a positive impact on team cohesion.

Additional Information

Language: English
Date: 2010
Basketball, Humor, Psychology, Sport
Wit and humor $x Psychological aspects.
Basketball teams $x Social aspects.
Basketball players.
College sports.