Humor isn’t just a joke or a meme that makes you smile. It can build bridges between people or burn them down. Psychologists have long noticed that laughter comes in different flavors: sometimes it helps you cope with stress, and sometimes it hides resentment or envy. Robert Martin, a Canadian psychologist, along with his colleagues in 2003 (not 2001, as sometimes misstated), created a questionnaire that breaks humor down into four styles. It’s a tool to understand how you use jokes in life.

Fun fact: studies show that people with adaptive humor (the positive kind) are less likely to feel depressed and have better relationships. Aggressive humor, on the other hand, can fuel conflicts – sarcasm often hurts more than it helps. Martin divided humor along two lines: whether it’s aimed at others or yourself, and whether it uplifts or puts down. This gives us four styles: affiliative (for bonding), self-enhancing (for yourself), aggressive (harming others), and self-defeating (joking at your own expense in a harmful way).

The questionnaire is called the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ) and has 32 statements. You answer from 1 (totally disagree) to 7 (totally agree). Write down your scores for each statement – it’s quick. Be honest, or the results won’t reflect the real you.

Humor Styles Test

1. I often joke with friends to make everyone laugh.
2. Even when I’m not in the mood, I try to cheer others up with jokes.
3. If someone makes a mistake, I like to tease them about it.
4. I let people laugh at me more than I should.
5. I don’t like it when people joke about me.
6. If a situation is tense, I try to lighten it with humor.
7. I often find something funny in everyday things.
8. People often laugh at my jokes, even when I’m not trying hard.
9. I don’t like sharing jokes with others.
10. Jokes about others are often funnier than ones about myself.
11. If I’m feeling down, jokes help me keep going.
12. I often use sarcasm to show what I think of someone.
13. People who make mistakes deserve to be joked about.
14. I often joke about myself to ease the atmosphere.
15. I like it when others laugh at my flaws.
16. I avoid jokes that might offend someone.
17. I can easily come up with a joke on any topic.
18. Jokes about groups of people (like by nationality) can be funny.
19. When I’m stressed, humor helps me calm down.
20. I often say sarcastic things, even if I regret it later.
21. I don’t mind looking foolish to make others laugh.
22. I don’t like jokes about weaker people.
23. I love telling jokes at parties.
24. Jokes about someone who can’t fight back can be funny.
25. Humor helps me get through tough times.
26. I often use irony to criticize others.
27. I joke about myself so people don’t think I’m too serious.
28. I feel sorry for people who are constantly joked about.
29. I try to be funny in a group.
30. Sarcasm is a good way to express irritation.
31. I feel more confident when I can laugh at myself.
32. I avoid sharp jokes because they might hurt someone.

(Note: This is a standard set of HSQ statements, simplified for clarity. If you want the original in English, check psytoolkit.org.)

How to Calculate Your Results

Each style has 8 statements. Sum your scores for the listed statements. For items marked (inverted), you must first reverse the score: 8 minus your score (so a 1 becomes a 7, a 2 becomes a 6, etc.).

• Affiliative Humor (positive, aimed at others): 1, 6, 8, 16 (inverted), 23, 28 (inverted), 29, 32 (inverted).
• Self-Enhancing Humor (positive, aimed at yourself): 2, 7, 11, 17, 19, 22 (inverted), 25, 31.
• Aggressive Humor (negative, aimed at others): 3, 10, 12, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26.
• Self-Defeating Humor (negative, aimed at yourself): 4, 5 (inverted), 9 (inverted), 14, 15, 21, 27, 30.

Maximum per scale is 56 (8 items x 7 points). Average scores are around 28-35 for positive styles, and often lower for negative ones.

What Do Your Results Mean?

Look at your scores: high scores in affiliative and self-enhancing humor are great. You use humor to connect with people and support yourself. Low scores mean you might be more reserved with jokes, which is fine if you’re content.

High scores in aggressive or self-defeating humor are a signal: your jokes might harm relationships or your self-esteem. For example, aggressive humor is linked to confrontational coping, like impulsive efforts to change a situation. Studies (including the Russian-language adaptation) show negative styles aren’t always harmful but are often tied to lower well-being. If your scores are high here, try switching: instead of sarcasm, go for a warm joke.

Humor as a defense: Freud saw it as a way to release aggression safely, but Martin showed not all humor is healthy. In Ukraine, where humor often leans ironic due to history, this test is especially relevant – it helps you see if your laughter heals or hurts.

This test is not a diagnosis, just a mirror. If you’re curious, pair it with well-being tests. Now you know your humor style!