Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Initial Study on How Families Deal with Ridicule and Being Laughed at: Parenting Styles and Parent–Child Relations with Respect to Gelotophobia, Gelotophilia, and Katagelasticism

  • Published:
Journal of Adult Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Familial aggregation and the effect of parenting styles on three dispositions toward ridicule and being laughed at were tested. Nearly 100 families (parents, their adult children, and their siblings) completed subjective questionnaires to assess the presence of gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). A positive relationship between fear of being laughed at in children and their parents was found. Results for gelotophilia were similar but numerically lower; if split by gender of the adult child, correlations to the mother’s gelotophilia exceeded those of the father. Katagelasticism arose independently from the scores in the parents but was robustly related to greater katagelasticism in the children’s siblings. Gelotophobes remembered punishment (especially from the mother), lower warmth and higher control from their parents (this was also found in the parents’ recollections of their parenting style). The incidence of gelotophilia was unrelated to specific parenting styles, and katagelasticism exhibited only weak relations with punishment. The study suggests a specific pattern in the relation of the three dispositions within families and argues for a strong impact of parenting styles on gelotophobia but less so for gelotophilia and katagelasticism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beutel, M. E., Schumacher, J., Weidner, W., & Brähler, E. (2002). Sexual activity, sexual and partnership satisfaction in ageing men—Results from a German representative community study. Andrologia, 34, 22–28. doi:10.1046/j.0303-4569.2001.00473.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conrade, G., & Ho, R. (2001). Differential parenting styles for fathers and mothers: Differential treatment for sons and daughters. Australian Journal of Psychology, 53, 29–35. doi:10.1080/00049530108255119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, K. R., Martin, R. A., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2010). The fear of being laughed at, social anxiety, and memories of being teased during childhood. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 94–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Führ, M. (2010). The applicability of the GELOPH <15> in children and adolescents: First evaluation in a large sample of Danish pupils. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 60–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Führ, M., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2009). Assessing the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): First evaluation of the Danish GELOPH <15>. Nordic Psychology, 61, 62–73. doi:10.1027/1901-2276.61.2.62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fyer, A. J., Mannuzza, S., Champman, T. F., Martin, L. Y., & Klein, D. F. (1995). Specificity in familial aggregation of phobic disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 564–573. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950190046007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon Simons, L., & Conger, R. D. (2007). Linking mother–father differences in parenting to a typology of family parenting styles and adolescent outcomes. Journal of Family Issues, 28, 212–241. doi:10.1177/0192513X06294593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knappe, S., Beesdo, K., Fehm, L., Lieb, R., & Wittchen, H.-U. (2009). Associations of familial risk factors with social fears and social phobia: Evidence for the continuum hypothesis in social anxiety disorder? Journal of Neural Transmission, 116, 639–648. doi:10.1007/s00702-008-0118-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manke, B. (1998). Genetic and environmental contributions to children’s interpersonal humor. In W. Ruch (Ed.), The sense of humor: Explorations of a personality characteristic (pp. 361–384). Berlin, Germany: Mouton deGruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perris, C., Jacobsson, L., Lindström, H., von Knorring, L., & Perris, H. (1980). Development of a new inventory for assessing memories of parental rearing behaviour. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 61, 265–274. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1980.tb00581.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Gelotophobia and age: Do disposition towards ridicule and being laughed at predict coping with age-related vulnerabilities? Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 231–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt, T., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2010). A lifetime of the fear of being laughed at: An aged perspective. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 43, 36–41. doi:10.1007/s00391-009-0083-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Proyer, R. T., Flisch, R., Tschupp, S., Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2012b). How does psychopathy relate to humor and laughter? Dispositions towards ridicule and being laughed at, the sense of humor, and psychopathic personality traits. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 35, 263–268. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2012.04.00.

  • Proyer, R. T., Hempelmann, C. F., & Ruch, W. (2009). Were they really laughed at? That much? Gelotophobes and their history of perceived derisibility. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22, 213–231. doi:10.1515/HUMR.2009.010.

  • Proyer, R. T., Neukom, M., Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2012a). Assessing gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism in children: An initial study on how six to nine-year-olds deal with laughter and ridicule and how this relates to bullying and victimization. Child Indicators Research, 5, 297–316. doi:10.1007/s12187-011-9127-1.

  • Proyer, R. T., Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Self-conscious emotions and ridicule: Shameful gelotophobes and guilt free katagelasticists. Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 54–58. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Enjoying and fearing laughter: Personality characteristics of gelotophobes, gelotophiles, and katagelasticists. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 148–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renner, K.-H., & Heydasch, T. (2010). Performing humor: On the relations between self-presentation styles, gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 171–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2008a). The fear of being laughed at: Individual and group differences in Gelotophobia. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 21, 47–67. doi:10.1515/HUMOR.2008.002.

  • Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2008b). Who is gelotophobic? Assessment criteria for the fear of being laughed at. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 67, 19–27. doi:10.1024/1421-0185.67.1.19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009a). Extending the study of gelotophobia: On gelotophiles and katagelasticists. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22, 183–212. doi:10.1515/HUMR.2009.009.

  • Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009b). Who fears being laughed at? The location of gelotophobia in the PEN-model of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 46, 627–630. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2009.01.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruch, W., Proyer, R. T., & Ventis, L. (2010). The relationship of teasing in childhood to the expression of gelotophobia in adults. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 77–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samson, A. C., Huber, O., & Ruch, W. (2011a). Teasing, ridiculing and the relation to the fear of being laughed at in individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 475–483. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1071-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Samson, A. C., & Meyer, Y. (2010). Perception of aggressive humor in relation to gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 217–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samson, A. C., Proyer, R. T., Ceschi, G., Pedrini, P. P., & Ruch, W. (2011b). The fear of being laughed at in Switzerland: Are there regional differences and the role of positive psychology. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 70, 53–62. doi:10.1024/1421-0185/a0000xx.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumacher, J., Eisemann, M., & Brähler, E. (1999). Rückblick auf die Eltern: Der Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten (FEE) [Looking back on parents: The questionnaire of recalled parental rearing behaviour (QRPRB)]. Diagnostica, 45, 194–204. doi:10.1026//0012-1924.45.4.194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumacher, J., Hinz, A., & Brähler, E. (2002). Zur Validität retrospektiver Datenerhebungen: Das elterliche Erziehungsverhalten in der Erinnerung junger Erwachsener und ihrer Eltern im Vergleich [The validity of retrospective reports: A comparison of the parental rearing behaviour recalled by young adults and their parents]. Zeitschrift für Differentielle und Diagnostische Psychologie, 23, 459–474. doi:10.1024//0170-1789.23.4.459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steger, M. F., Hicks, B. M., Kashdan, T. B., Krueger, R. F., & Bouchard, T. J. (2007). Genetic and environmental influences on the positive traits of the values in action classification, and biometric covariance with normal personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 524–539. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2006.06.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Titze, M. (2009). Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22, 27–48. doi:10.1515/HUMR.2009.002.

  • Vernon, P. A., Martin, R. A., Aitken Schermer, J., Cherkas, L. F., & Spector, T. D. (2008a). Genetic and environmental contribution to Humor Styles: A replication study. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 11, 44–47. doi:10.1375/twin.11.1.44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vernon, P. A., Martin, R. A., Aitken Schermer, J., & Mackie, A. (2008b). A behavioral genetic investigation of humor styles and their correlations with the Big-5 personality dimensions. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1116–1125. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2007.11.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weibel, Y. S., & Proyer, R. T. (2012). Wie gehen Erwachsene mit dem Lachen und Auslachen um? Zur erinnerten Rolle von Lehrern, Familie und Gleichaltrigen. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 59, 81–92. doi:10.2378/peu2012.art09d.

  • Winsler, A., Madigan, A. L., & Aquilino, S. A. (2005). Correspondence between maternal and paternal parenting styles in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 20, 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2005.01.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The completion of this paper has been facilitated by a research grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF; 100014_126967-1). The authors are grateful to Dr. Frank A. Rodden for proofreading the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/7, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland

    René T. Proyer, Stephanie Estoppey & Willibald Ruch

Authors
  1. René T. Proyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephanie Estoppey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Willibald Ruch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to René T. Proyer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Proyer, R.T., Estoppey, S. & Ruch, W. An Initial Study on How Families Deal with Ridicule and Being Laughed at: Parenting Styles and Parent–Child Relations with Respect to Gelotophobia, Gelotophilia, and Katagelasticism. J Adult Dev 19, 228–237 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-012-9150-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-012-9150-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation