Humor-based online positive psychology interventions: A randomized placebo-controlled long-term trial

While correlational evidence exists that humor is positively associated with well-being, only few studies addressed causality. We tested the effects of five humor-based activities on happiness and depression in a placebo-controlled, self-administered online positive psychology intervention study (N = 632 adults). All of the five one-week interventions enhanced happiness, three for up to six months (i.e. three funny things, applying humor, and counting funny things), whereas there were only shortterm effects on depression (all were effective directly after the intervention). Additionally, we tested the moderating role of indicators of a person × intervention-fit and identified early changes in well-being and preference (liking of the intervention) as the most potent indicators for changes six months after the intervention. Overall, we were able to replicate existing work, but also extend knowledge in the field by testing newly developed interventions for the first time. Findings are discussed with respect to the current literature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1137624 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-121848 Accepted Version Originally published at: Wellenzohn, Sara; Proyer, Rene T; Ruch, Willibald (2016). Humor-based online positive psychology interventions: A randomized placebo-controlled long-term trial. Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(6):584-594. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1137624 Running head: Humor-based Positive Psychology Interventions 1 Humor-based Online Positive Psychology Interventions: A Randomized Placebo-controlled Long-term Trial Sara Wellenzohn University of Zurich, Switzerland René T. Proyer Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany University of Zurich, Switzerland Willibald Ruch University of Zurich, Switzerland Sara Wellenzohn is at the Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. René T. Proyer is at the Department of Psychology at the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany and the Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Willibald Ruch is at the Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland This research was supported in part by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF; 100014_132512 and 100014_149772) awarded to RTP and WR. The authors are grateful to Dr. Frank A. Rodden for proofreading the manuscript. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sara Wellenzohn, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/7, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; E-mail: [email protected] Humor-based Positive Psychology Interventions 2 Abstract While correlational evidence exists that humor is positively associated with well-being, only few studies addressed causality. We tested the effects of five humor-based activities on happiness and depression in a placebo-controlled, self-administered online positive psychology intervention (PPI) study (N = 632 adults). All of the five one-week interventions enhanced happiness, three for up to six months (i.e., three funny things, applying humor, and counting funny things), whereas there were only short-term effects on depression (all were effective directly after the intervention). Additionally, we tested the moderating role ofWhile correlational evidence exists that humor is positively associated with well-being, only few studies addressed causality. We tested the effects of five humor-based activities on happiness and depression in a placebo-controlled, self-administered online positive psychology intervention (PPI) study (N = 632 adults). All of the five one-week interventions enhanced happiness, three for up to six months (i.e., three funny things, applying humor, and counting funny things), whereas there were only short-term effects on depression (all were effective directly after the intervention). Additionally, we tested the moderating role of indicators of a person×intervention-fit and identified early changes in well-being and preference (liking of the intervention) as the most potent indicators for changes six months after the intervention. Overall, we were able to replicate existing work, but also extend knowledge in the field by testing newly developed interventions for the first time. Findings are discussed with respect to the current literature.