Completed Research Project

Title / Titel
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Gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at): Assessment and application
Summary / Zusammenfassung
The project focuses on the behavioural definition and measurement of Gelotophobia--the fear of being laughed at, as well as the causes and consequences. The concept originates from clinical observations, but was recently verified empirically (Ruch, 2004, Ruch and Proyer, 2008a) in questionnaire studies of clinical groups (by separating gelotophobics from other shame-based neurotics, not shame-based neurotics, and controls) and by means of an experimental laughter perception task and a projective social situation test (Ruch, Altfreder & Proyer, 2009) using high and low scorer on the Geloph (a measure of Gelotophobia, Ruch & Titze, 1998, Ruch & Proyer, 2008b). Validation of the scale is provided by correlations to intelligence tests (Proyer & Ruch, 2009a) and measures of personality (Ruch & Proyer, 2009; Ruch, Proyer & Popa, 2009) and character (Proyer & Ruch, 2009b). The emotions of Gelotophobics were studied (e.g., Papousek, Ruch, Freudenthaler, Kogler, Lang, & Schulter, 2009) and they turn out that gelotophobes are characterized to be fearful, shameful and joyless (Platt & Ruch, 2009). Furthermore, their stance to different forms of humor and laughter was explored (Ruch, Beermann & Proyer, 2009). Furthermore, putative causes (e.g. exposure to mockery during childhood) and consequences (e.g., psychosomatic complaints) of Gelotophobia are studied (Ruch, Proyer & Ventis, 2009). The fear of being laughed at is more prevalent among psychiatic patients, especially patients with personality disorders (Forabosco, Ruch, & Nucera, 2009). Future research will study the incidence rate of Gelotophobia in different groups (clinical, vocational, students and pupils) and relate it to bullying. The prevalence of Gelotophobic symptoms in different countries (at present: more than 70) will be examined using translations of the scale.
Publications / Publikationen
Forabosco, G., Ruch, W., & Nucera, P. (2009). The fear of being laughed at among psychiatric patients. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2), 233-252.
Papousek, I., Ruch, W., Freudenthaler, H. H., Kogler, E., Lang, B., & Schulter, G. (2009). Gelotophobia, emotion-related skills and responses to the affective states of others. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 58-63.
Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2009). The emotions of gelotophobes: Shameful, fearful and joyless? Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2), 91-110.
Platt, T., Proyer, R.T. & Ruch, W. (2009). Gelotophobia and bullying: The assessment of the fear of being laughed at and its application among bullying victims. Psychology Science Quarterly, 135-147.
Ruch, W. (Ed.). (2009). Fearing humor? Gelotophobia: the fear of being laughed at [Special Issue]. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2).
Ruch, W. (2009). Fearing humor? Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. Introduction and overview. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2), 1-25.
Ruch, W., Altfreder, O. & Proyer, R. T. (2009). How do gelotophobes interpret laughter in ambiguous situations? An experimental validation of the concept. Humor – International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2), 62-89.
Ruch, W., Beermann, U., & Proyer, R. (2009). Investigating the humor of gelotophobes: Does feeling ridiculous equal being humorless? In: W. Ruch, Fearing humor? Gelotophobia: the fear of being laughed at [Special Issue]. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1/2), 111-143.
Ruch, W. & Proyer, R. (2008a). The fear of being laughed at: Individual and group differences in Gelotophobia. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 21(1), 47-67.
Ruch, W. & Proyer, R. (2008b). Who is gelotophobic? Assessment criteria for the fear of being laughed at. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 67(1), 19-27.
Ruch, W., Proyer, R.T., & Popa, D.E. (2008). The fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) and personality. Anuarul Institutului de Istorie “G. Baritiu” din Cluj-Napoca, Series Humanistica”, tom VI, 53-68.
Ruch, W. & Proyer, T. R. (2009). Who fears being laughed at? The location of gelotophobia in the PEN-model of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 46, 627-630.
Ruch, W., Proyer, R. T. & Ventis, L. (in press). The relationship of teasing in childhood to the expression of gelotophobia in adults. Psychology Science Quarterly.
Keywords / Suchbegriffe
laughter, phobia, shame, gelotophobia, bullying
Project Leadership and Contacts /
Projektleitung und Kontakte
Prof. Dr. Willibald Ruch (Project Leader)w.ruch@psychologie.uzh.ch
Dr. René Proyer (Project Leader)r.proyer@psychologie.uzh.ch
Funding Source(s) /
Unterstützt durch
Others
 
Duration of Project / Projektdauer
Jan 2005 to Dec 2009

© Universität Zürich, 13. Februar 2010, Impressum