Melissa Bekelja Wanzer

The relationship between student perceptions of instructor humor and students’ reports of learning

The use of humor in the classroom has been investigated using a variety of humor operationalizations and methodologies with mixed results. In the present study we examine the role of teacher humor orientation rather than specific humorous behaviors. The relationship between perceived teacher humor orientation and learning was the focus of this study. Results indicated that a high humor orientation (HO) was associated with increased student perceptions of learning. Perceived teacher humor orientation was also examined in relation to nonverbal immediacy and socio‐communicative style. Additionally, we examined the interaction between teacher humor orientation and student humor orientation on learning. It was found that high HO students reported learning more with a high HO teacher.

An Explanation of the Relationship between Instructor Humor and Student Learning: Instructional Humor Processing Theory

This paper proposes the Instructional Humor Processing Theory (IHPT), a theory that incorporates elements of incongruity-resolution theory, disposition theory, and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) of persuasion. IHPT is proposed and offered as an explanation for why some types of instructor-generated humor result in increased student learning and others do not. A preliminary study was conducted with 378 students who identified a specific instructor and reported that same instructors use of inappropriate and appropriate humor, perceptions of instructor humorousness, and affective learning and learning indicators. The Instructional Humor Processing Theory hypothesized that humor related to instructional content would correlate positively with student learning, while inappropriate forms would not. Consistent with IHPT, related humor, an appropriate form of instructional humor, was positively associated with student learning, while other-disparaging and offensive humor, inappropriate forms of humor, did not correlate with student learning. Humorous instructors used significantly more appropriate and inappropriate humor than nonhumorous instructors. Explanations are offered for these findings as well as study limitations and directions for future research to support IHPT.

“If We Didn't Use Humor, We'd Cry”: Humorous Coping Communication in Health Care Settings

ABSTRACT Folkman and Lazaruss transactional theory of emotion and coping was used to explain how humor influences job satisfaction among health care providers. One hundred forty-two nurses completed measures of humor orientation (HO), coping efficacy, job satisfaction, and open-ended questions about their use of humor to relieve job tensions. This produced 9 categories of strategies of producing humor and 8 types of work situations identified in which humor was used to cope. Nurses (21.4%) reported using humor the most often during “patient care” situations (e.g., providing medicines, moving patients, physical therapy, and so on). More than one third (38.66%) of the nurses reported using “word-play/language” as a humorous coping strategy. Higher HO was associated with higher ratings of humor effectiveness, greater self-perceived coping efficacy, and higher emotional expressivity. Path analysis demonstrated that, as the transactional theory would predict, trait HO influences job satisfaction through its effect on heightened coping efficacy. Study limitations include the use of self-report methods and the limited number of responses to the open-ended items. Subsequent research in this area should attempt to validate the categories identified in this study and determine the most effective means of coping. Researchers also should explore differences in health care providers’ coping communication based on gender, years of experience, and profession.

Teacher socio‐communicative style as a correlate of student affect toward teacher and course material

Students’ perceptions of “teacher misbehaviors”; may be related to teachers socio‐communicative style (i.e., assertiveness and responsiveness), type of instructor (graduate assistant versus professor), and affect for teacher and course material. Four hypotheses were confirmed, indicating an inverse relationship between perceptions of teacher misbehaviors and 1) teacher assertiveness, 2) teacher responsiveness, 3) positive affect for the teacher, and 4) positive affect for the course material. Perceptions of teacher misbehaviors did not covary with type of instructor. Teachers’ socio‐communicative styles may dramatically affect student perceptions of teachers and course material. Specific misbehaviors are ranked according to apparent influence on student affect.

Appropriate and Inappropriate Uses of Humor by Teachers

The use of humor in teaching has been linked to learning in several studies, although the research has been equivocal. The various types of humor used by teachers have also been investigated but not in terms of what students view as appropriate and inappropriate uses of humor. Participants in this study were asked to generate examples of appropriate and inappropriate uses of humor by teachers. Responses were unitized and content analyzed, resulting in the identification of four appropriate humor categories and four inappropriate humor categories. Each category is defined, and the implications of using different types of humor in the classroom are discussed.

Are funny people popular? An examination of humor orientation, loneliness, and social attraction

In order to understand the role of humorous communication in relationships, 125 undergraduates completed measures of Humor Orientation (HO), loneliness, and verbal aggressiveness (VA), and then had two acquaintances complete other‐perceived HO and social attractiveness on them. Results indicated that higher HO was associated with lower levels of loneliness. Acquaintances’ perceptions of HO and self‐reported HO were positively related, and people seen as more humorous were also seen as socially attractive. VA individuals did not report more loneliness, but were perceived to be less socially attractive, due in part to the finding that individuals higher in VA tend to target others when they enact humor.

Assessing Students’ Perceptions of Inappropriate and Appropriate Teacher Humor

This study replicated and extended a preliminary typology of appropriate and inappropriate teacher humor and advanced three explanations for differences in interpretations of teacher humor. Students were more likely to view teacher humor as inappropriate when it was perceived as offensive and when it demeaned students as a group or individually. Student humor orientation, verbal aggressiveness, and communication competence were related to how students viewed teachers’ use of appropriate and inappropriate humor. Teachers’ level of humor orientation, verbal aggressiveness, and nonverbal immediacy were also related to how students viewed teachers’ use of humor. These results suggest that a combination of the factors examined can be used to explain differences in ratings of classroom humor appropriateness.

Individual differences in managers’ use of humor. Subordinate perceptions of managers’ humor

This research examined how humor orientation can be productive as a managerial trait. 151 individuals in the workforce rated their own and their managers’ humor orientation and a measure of humorous behavior enactments. Results indicated that respondents who are higher in humor orientation are more likely to enact humorous behaviors in the workplace, and that managers who were perceived as higher in humor orientation were viewed as more likeable and more effective in their positions.

Humorous Communication Within the Lives of Older Adults: The Relationships Among Humor, Coping Efficacy, Age, and Life Satisfaction

This study explores humorous communication within the lives of older adults by testing the relationships among humor, coping efficacy, age, and life satisfaction. Results overall indicate these four variables function in communicatively complex ways for older adults. As predicted, humor-oriented individuals were more likely to use humor as a coping mechanism and reported greater coping efficacy. In a comparison of individuals who varied in age (under 50, 50–74, and 75 + ), differences in humor orientation scores emerged among the 3 groups. As predicted by Folkman and Lazaruss transactional theory of coping and emotion, the relationship between self-reported humor orientation and life satisfaction was mediated by coping efficacy. In attempting to determine which variables best predicted life satisfaction, coping efficacy and health status explained unique variance in life satisfaction scores. Study implications and limitations are addressed.

An exploratory investigation of student and teacher perceptions of student‐generated affinity‐seeking behaviors

A sample of college students was surveyed to construct a list of mutually exclusive affinity‐seeking categories. These categories identified affinity‐seeking strategies used by students to attempt to influence their teachers. Another sample, consisting of college teachers, was surveyed to construct a list of teachers’ perceptions of affinity‐seeking strategies used by students. Twenty‐six mutually exclusive categories were generated by the two groups. Results indicate that teachers and students agree that specific strategies are used most frequently: “conversational rule keeping,”; “elicit others disclosure,”; “self‐inclusion,”; and “requirements.”;