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

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 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.

Keywords:

• happiness
• humor
• online intervention
• person × intervention fit
• positive psychology intervention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr Frank A. Rodden for proofreading the manuscript.

Funding

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.

Notes

1. When analyzing completers only, we found a main effect of the condition (humor-based intervention vs. placebo condition) on happiness (F(1, 629) = 4.48, p < .05, η² = .01), but not on depressive symptoms, F(1, 629) = .98, p = .35. Furthermore, we found the three funny things at the one- and three-month follow-up, and the counting funny things and the applying humor intervention at every follow-up to be effective in enhancing happiness, all three also showing overall effects. However, no overall effects for depressive symptoms were found, only applying humor was found to ameliorate depressive symptoms at post and one-month follow-up and solving stressful situations in a humorous way showed trends at post and three-month follow-up.