Moderating Role of Gender in the Relationships between Humour Styles, Self-Esteem and Subjective Happiness among Married Teachers in Anambra State

Abstract

The study investigated the moderating role of gender in the relationship between humour style and subjective happiness among married teachers. Cross-sectional design was adopted in the study. Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and Humour Style Questionnaire (HSQ) were employed to elicit responses from participants. A total of 520 married teachers [180 (34.62%) males and 340 (65.4%) females] were randomly selected from 18 Government Secondary Schools, out of 38 Government Secondary Schools in Idemili South, Idemili North and Njikoka Local Government Areas of Anambra State. Moderated regression was used to analyze the data. The results showed that affiliative humour (β = .33, t = 6.31, p < .001) and self-enhancing humour style (β = .26, t = 6.75, p < .001 were positively associated with greater happiness among married teachers while aggressive humour style and self-defeating humour style, were not significantly associated with subjective happiness. Self-esteem was associated with greater happiness (β = .36, t = 3.62, p < .001) Gender moderated the relationship between affiliative humour style (β= .33, t = 6.31, p < .001) and self enhancing humour style with happiness, but gender did not moderate the relationship between aggressive humour style and self-defeating humour style with happiness. Gender also moderated the relationship between self-esteem and happiness (β = -.44, t = -3.22, p < .001) such that the influence of self-esteem on happiness was significant for men (β = .36, t = 3.62, p < .001) but not significant for women. Implication of the study depicts that married teachers from Anambra State, especially male teachers, who engaged in positive type of humour (affiliative humour and self-enhancing humor) experienced more happiness than those who engaged in negative type of humour (aggressive and self-defeating humour). An increase in self-esteem was also associated with increase in their subjective happiness. It was suggested that couples who had suffered prolonged unhappiness should seek help from Counselling Psychologists, and that they may benefit from humour therapy.