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Humor as a character strength among the elderly

Theoretical considerations

Humor als Charakterstärke bei älteren Menschen

Theoretische Grundlagen

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Abstract

Positive psychology is a scientific approach within psychology that focuses on research on what is best in people. Within this framework, humor is understood as a character strength. The article gives a brief overview on positive psychology and implications for aging (positive aging, successful aging) with an emphasis on the contribution of humor. Humor as a strength of character and its measurement by various approaches are discussed. It is argued that there is a lack of empirical data about humor in the elderly. Potential benefits of considering humor in research but also in practice are discussed.

Zusammenfassung

Positive Psychologie ist ein wissenschaftlicher Ansatz innerhalb der Psychologie, der sich in der Forschung damit beschäftigt, was das Beste im Menschen ist. In dieser Forschungsrichtung wird Humor als Charakterstärke verstanden. Der vorliegende Artikel gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Positive Psychologie und Implikationen, die sich für das Altern (positives, erfolgreiches Altern) ergeben. Dabei wird das Hauptaugenmerk auf den Beitrag gelegt, den Humor leisten kann. Humor als Charakterstärke und Möglichkeiten der Messung werden diskutiert und im Überblick, gemeinsam mit anderen Ansätzen zur Messung von Humor, vorgestellt. Es wird argumentiert, dass es zum Humor älterer Menschen zu wenige empirische Daten gibt. Weitere Diskussionspunkte sind mögliche positive Auswirkungen für Forschung und Praxis.

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The corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section on Personality and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestr. 14/7, 8050, Zürich, Schweiz

    W. Ruch, R.T. Proyer & M. Weber

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  1. W. Ruch
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  2. R.T. Proyer
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  3. M. Weber
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Correspondence to W. Ruch.

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Ruch, W., Proyer, R. & Weber, M. Humor as a character strength among the elderly. Z Gerontol Geriat 43, 8–12 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-009-0080-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-009-0080-2

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