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Published on: June 30, 2020
A Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale for school-aged children: issues of reliability and validity
1University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing, Worcester, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|March 4, 1999
Summary
The revised Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) reliably measures children's sense of humor. This validated tool aids in understanding humor
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Development
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Sense of humor is crucial for children's coping mechanisms.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture the multidimensional nature of humor in children.
- Assessing humor is vital for clinical and research applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revise and validate the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) for school-aged children.
- To establish the reliability and validity of the modified MSHS.
- To provide a tool for assessing children's sense of humor in various settings.
Main Methods:
- The Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS) was modified for a child population.
- One hundred sixteen school-aged children completed the revised MSHS.
- Psychometric properties including internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and concurrent validity were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The modified MSHS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .88 for total scale, .78–.85 for subscales).
- Item-to-total correlations ranged from .35 to .71, indicating good item discrimination.
- Concurrent validity was supported by a significant positive correlation (r = .42, P < .001) between MSHS scores and children's self-ratings of humor.
Conclusions:
- The modified MSHS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing sense of humor in school-aged children.
- The scale can be utilized in clinical and research settings to evaluate children's humor.
- Findings suggest the MSHS can inform the use of humor in helping children cope with stressors.
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